Service With A Smile!
by Arrixam
Summary: Working in a maid café isn't as easy as it sounds. The tasks are humiliating, the hours are unfair, the pay is mediocre, and there's A LOT of sexual harassment. Especially from the employer. However, both Gremory and Sitri Peerages will have to learn to manage... because they'll forever be out of a job if they don't.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Following a new theory for storyboarding. This story is a bigger experiment than my other works. It's also a side-project until I figure out what the shit I'm doing for everything else. Don't expect frequent updates.

But other than that, I still hope you like it and let me know what you think.

On with the show!

* * *

"Rias, we can't ignore this any longer," Sona said. A small frown could be seen at the corner of her lips. "Our usual method is no longer producing any results."

"I know, I know," Rias sighed. She also had a frown as she lazily swayed her chair left and right. "I haven't had to send my peerage out to deliver coupons since we first enrolled. We've gotten a good amount of new clients but…"

"But none of them have returned," Sona finished. "Yes. We're having the same problem on our side. Most don't fill out the survey. But those who do…"

"They are satisfied with our work but think the prices are too high," Rias finished this time. "We're even beginning to lose some of our loyal repeat customers. Something has to be up."

Both Sitri and Gremory Devils were troubled. They started to see signs of their clientele starting to decline as early as half a year ago. At first, none of them paid it any concern other than to treat it as a slight in their peerage's handling. But as the months progressed, the number of contracts dramatically declined. It reached a point to where hardly anyone was summoning anyone from their peerage. There were days where they had nothing to do.

They couldn't figure out what went wrong. None of their customers were ever unsatisfied with their summoning. Whatever they wished for was met with professional efficiency _and_ courtesy.

See, that last part was a big deal. Try finding a nice Devil who will dress in cosplay and not smite you just for asking.

"Do you think it's the Fallen?" Sona asked.

"You mean the ones laying low at the abandoned church?" Rias pondered the idea. "No, I don't think so. They're too few in number and have been keeping to themselves. Something like this would need a bigger force."

"Rias," Sona spoke sharply, " _something_ is taking our contracts away from us. My investigation shows their minds haven't been tampered with. Nor is there any residue from a holy affinity. Simply, they are going somewhere else."

Rias blinked and looked straight at Sona, "You think so? As in… another Devil has opened up shop? In _our_ territory?"

"Buchou~" sang Akeno, appearing into the clubroom in a flash of light. She approached the desk with a flier in her hands. "I have the answer to our little problem."

The three of them peered over the desk to read the flier.

"…A maid café?" Sona asked with a raised brow.

"Akeno," Rias leaned back into her chair. "There are hundreds of them across the city. They're nothing special. Where did you even get this idea from?"

"From one of my regulars," she answered with a sweet smile… and a disturbing blush gradually increasing. Both knew what it meant. "He's been ignoring me for the past month. I assumed he was busy with his job, being a CEO and all. But making a girl wait… I just couldn't have any of that. So I invited myself into his office and… _asked._ "

Akeno looked away as she began to cackle quietly to herself, lost in a dreamy, heated memory.

"…I see," Rias said simply as she picked up the flier to read it in better details.

"So he's been going there instead of to you?" Sona inquired. "Did he give any reason as to why?"

Akeno pouted, "He said it was more convenient for his schedule. Something about no longer needing to wait until night and make his wife suspicious. He gets to go there during lunch. Oh, and apparently, he can get away with it by using it as a work expense! He gets to hold business meetings there!"

"…At a maid café?" Sona asked with a heavy amount of skepticism.

"The wine selection is top quality, or so I've been told," Akeno muttered.

"But that's just one client," Rias sighed as she put the flier back down. "Let's even assume it took all of our male clientele. It doesn't explain why some of Kiba's regulars haven't requested anything lately."

"Flip it over," Akeno responded, twirling her finger in gesture.

Rias did. She said nothing as she stared at the other side.

" _And_ it's a butler café?!" Rias slammed the paper back down. "What kind of place is this? No, I absolutely refuse to believe a single establishment like this is the reason for our problems. I can understand if it took some of our clients. I'll even believe if it took half of them. But _all_ of them? There's just no way!"

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth," Sona recited while fixing her glasses. Despite what she said, she had a sour look. "It is the only lead we have, Rias. We should at least check it out."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Rias shrugged. "They are still open. Best to get this done as soon as possible. Akeno, do you mind staying here and managing everything while I'm gone?"

"You mean I can't give them a piece of my mind?" Akeno sulked. "I suppose. Though there isn't much to manage with the way things are."

The Sitri and Gremory Devils nodded to each other, went to the furthest corner of the room, and used the magic circle etched under the carpeting to teleport to a nearby address listed on the flier.

Akeno was left by herself. She looked around. Due to the boredom of _nothing to do,_ she had already scrubbed the room clean. The paperwork was filed. There were no new messages or urgencies that needed her attention as Rias Gremory's Queen. She even had her homework finished.

She could only sit on the couch and daydream about all the wondrously terrible things she was going to do to whoever was at fault for her boredom. She had accumulated a lot of stress over the past couple of weeks with very little to vent it on.

Before she knew it, Kiba had returned from his request. She knew he had done everything he could to drag it out as long as possible for the same reasons. She told him where Rias had gone. A while after that, Koneko returned, who had been lucky enough to be double booked. Akeno repeated the same story to her.

But after that, they received no more requests for the night.

"We should call it a night," Akeno said. She had switched over to Rias' seat and played around with her things. She was reading the manga Rias thought was hidden with her fake glasses. "It's not even midnight."

"Shouldn't we wait for Buchou?" Koneko asked.

"I have no idea when she'll be back…" Akeno said but started to let her voice drift off as soon as she started to feel a familiar energy. A second afterwards, the room lit up as the magic circle came alive.

Rias stepped out when the light died out. She had a very satisfied smile on her face as she held a Devil's contract in her hand.

"Oh good, everyone is here," she said as she looked around the room. "Listen up everyone. I have an announcement. As you are aware, we've been struggling to make our quota for contracts. This is because our hunting grounds are no longer wild. They have been cultivated due to the human's ability to progress their civilization at a rapid pace while we have been left to starve.

"But we are Devils. We adapt and follow their lead. We blend in. And that is why, as your King, I managed to score us the contract of the century. No, of the millennium! With this contract will we be able to make a hundred others!

"Everyone, we are going to start employment at this servant café!"

She probably expected cheer. She came in giddy and excited. Almost to the point she was nearly hysterical.

All she got in return was silence.

0-0-0

 _Two hours before…_

"Welcome back, Hane-san," greeted the female receptionist at the lobby. "It's so good to see you again. How have you been?"

"Oh my goodness…" the woman, Hane, who was dressed in a prim and proper no-nonsense business suit, nearly drew her hand to her lips. "It's been over a month. I didn't think you'd remember me."

"As if we'd ever forget a refined woman," the male receptionist quipped back. "I also believe your waiter last time was… Yusuke-san."

"He's available tonight if you don't mind waiting another twenty minutes," the female receptionist looked down at a screen hidden behind the counter. "Or would you like to select someone else in the available list?"

The girl pulled out a tablet. On its display was a list of names and characteristics. And beside each slot was an image of the employee.

"Yu-kun was so charming last time…" Hane muttered below her breath. She blushed, cleared her throat, and looked back at the two with a dignified look. "I don't want to insult him by choosing someone else. I will wait for Yusuke-san."

"Would you like your arrangements the same as last time…" the girl gave a mischievous smirk. "Or would you prefer something a little more… private? It is a little noisy tonight. All our rooms are soundproof."

Hane began to sway. She paused before answering.

"T-That… sounds reasonable. Yes. I would like a private room."

"Certainly," the girl pulled the tablet back and began to fiddle with it. She pulled out a buzzer and handed it to the woman. "Here's your number. We'll give you a call when everything is ready."

Both receptionists bowed. Hane accepted the buzzer, clutched it close to her chest, and went to wait on a nearby couch within the lobby. She kept staring at the buzzer like an impatient schoolgirl, glaring at it to hurry up and activate.

Rias and Sona exchanged a look.

The place was set up like most restaurants. There was a lobby at the front with a few couches and benches for waiting. There was an archway to the left which led to a bar. And there was a hallway to the right which led to the facilities.

Behind the reception desk was a clear view of the restaurant itself. There were rows of tables set up in no particular order with booths lined up against the walls. Some booths were the traditional facing-each-other sort and some were circular where you had to scooch towards the center. The entire setup was simple.

Last, at both the left and right ends of the dining area were a set of archways that led deeper into the restaurant. And towards the absolute back were the swinging doors that led to the kitchens. They saw a long table taking the majority of the room on the left while they could not see what was towards the right.

Everything had been set up to let the employees of the establishment to not only move freely and swiftly without bumping into anything but to be visible to _everyone._ Be the observer be dining, walking around, to even just walking through the front door.

True to the word of the flier, it really was a combined maid and butler café. All of the servers were dressed in modest serving attire of Victorian style.

"Hi there," the female receptionist gave an elegant and delighted smile. "Is this your first time visiting?"

"Yes," they both answered right away.

The male receptionist gave them an appraising look with a charming smile. He didn't say anything as he went to examine something behind the desk.

"Welcome!" the female receptionist perked up. "Since this is your first time, we would like to give you either one free activity or desert. That's one for each, by the way."

"Thank you," Sona nodded. "We're a little new to all of this. My friend and I just recently came across this coupon and thought to try it out. Can you explain how things work?"

"Of course," the girl's grin grew as she saw the flier in Sona's hands.

"Hey guys, I can help you over here," the male receptionist spoke up suddenly, gesturing to the group of boys waiting in line. "Ah hey, it's you three again. Sup?"

"Lolifor-sama! After this visit we'll get our ninth stamp!" said one of the boys.

"Aw yeah! We're back for some of the ladies!" said the second.

"One more and we get another free VIP treatment!" said the third.

Rias recognized them. These boys were known (and despised by the female populace) as the Perverted Trio. She didn't know much about them. Only by reputation. It was said they enrolled into Kuoh Academy for the sole purpose of obtaining girlfriends. But… their lust is simply out of control. They had no shame in expressing their love for anything perverted. They also had no sense of boundaries or privacy.

Nothing was beneath them if it meant they could see a little extra skin.

But Rias also heard their habits had been gradually dying down. They were less eccentric. In fact, the rumors about them were starting to fade away. They were becoming less the gossip of the day to mere reminders of fearful days.

Surely… it couldn't have been because of this establishment.

"Hey, you," the female receptionist pulled out a pen and jabbed it into her coworker's side. It shocked him and he jumped. "You're being too loud. I'm trying to work here."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled while rubbing his side. He returned to the three. "Alright. Your stuff is ready. Thanks for setting an appointment this time. Oh, and all the girls you requested are available tonight. Ise, Asia's been looking forward to this all week. Take good care of her."

"Eh, Ise, you chose Asia-chan again?" asked one of his friends.

"Asia-chan is the innocent-type," commented the other clinically. "Plus she's a foreign beauty. Of course our Ise fell to her charms. But, come on man, I thought you were a breast man."

"I will always be a breast—" the boy, Hyoudou Issei, began to raise his voice in protest.

"Rules!" the male receptionist leaned over the counter and stuffed one of the buzzers into Issei's mouth. "Remember the rules! I feel you, bro. But this is a public place. You don't want to have another chat with Mil-tan again, do you?"

The three's faces turned ashen white.

"Good," the receptionist fell back to his side of the counter. He eyed the pager in his hand… covered in Issei's spit. He tossed it into a trash bin underneath while using his clean hand to fiddle with a tablet. "Please wait right here while I call the girls."

"…Did you get all that so far?" the female spoke up.

"Yes," Sona nodded. She looked towards Rias when there wasn't a follow-up response. "Rias? Did you hear any of that?"

Rias snapped back around. She had an apologetic smile, "I'm terribly sorry. I missed your explanation. Sona, do you think you can decide for me?"

Sona gave her a look. It told her they weren't here to mess around. She needed to focus.

"It's perfectly understandable," the receptionist offered with a patient smile. And then she stabbed her counterpart with the electric pen. "It's best you both understand so to have the most enjoyable experience possible.

"It's like any dine-in," the girl went on, waving a hand across for emphasis. She brought up her tablet for them to see the roster. "Any one of our servants here is available right now. If you like, I can take you to a table and a random servant will be yours for the evening. Or, you can look through our list and choose any that catches your eye. From there, they will explain the finer details of your visit as well as optional entertainments and delights you may be interested in."

Sona flicked a finger through the tablet. A brow was raised at the number of selection working tonight. There was also a filter to discern the gender, personality, appearance, and age-range.

She tapped on one random boy. His profile expanded to give greater detail. Such as his current education level, his hobbies, his hopes and dreams, and a short message from himself to the client.

At the bottom was a confirmation button… as well as list of options.

"I can request how he treats me?" Sona asked. "How does that work?"

"Well, some girls like the total Onii-sama character," the receptionist gushed out. "Or the timid younger classman. To even the rough street punk with a heart of gold. Though, I will warn you now results will vary depending on the chosen."

Rias and Sona exchanged another look.

"We would like to request the best butler you have available," Rias spoke up. "We want our experience to be the absolute best. First time being here and all that."

"The best… huh?" the receptionist pulled back her tablet and began to scroll through the roster. But her eyes weren't focused on it. They were sharp with something else on her mind.

The two receptionists exchanged a look.

"Would you like your arrangements to be in the dining room or in a private room?" the girl asked.

"An open table is fine," Sona answered for them.

"It will be just a moment then," the girl said in a simple tone while keeping up her smile. "Here is your buzzer. Please wait while we setup the arrangements."

"Thank you," both said and went to take their seat in the lobby.

Rather than playing with the tablet, the girl picked up the phone and dialed a number. She cupped the receiver with her hand while speaking quietly into it. Her expression was calm and practiced, as one would after making a profession of doing so, but her eyes said otherwise.

"What do you think?" Sona asked.

"So far I don't see what makes it so special," Rias admitted as she looked around again. The furnishings were lovely but not spectacular. "I'm a little overwhelmed with the options. But I guess that's why they have the choice to take a random table. What about you?"

"I can't say," Sona said with a tilt of her head. "Remember what we're here for."

"I know!" Rias gently pushed her friend. "I haven't forgotten. Honestly, Sona."

They didn't have to wait for very long. The business woman, Hane, was received by a scandalously young man who couldn't possibly be older than a first-year of high school. Shortly after, the Perverted Trio were escorted by a trio of maids— two of which were Japanese beauties while the third was a foreign girl with blonde hair and green eyes.

"It's Quinn!" a group of girls across of Rias and Sona gasped. They all huddled together at the couch with the center one clutching her buzzer as if it was the winning lottery ticket. "Did we get the VIP raffle?! We won a night with Quinn-sama?!"

A man in his early twenties entered the lobby. He was tall and built with lean muscle despite the layers of the butler suit he wore. His hair was blonde and fell pass his shoulders and eyes as blue as the sky behind thin-framed glasses.

He had a porcelain beauty to him. He had the features of something inhuman. The combination of a Devil's charm, a Fallen's seduction, and an Angel's discipline all bundled together in everything about him.

He stopped to ask something at the front desk.

The female receptionist gave him a look and hit a button.

At that moment, the buzzer in Sona's grip came alive. It vibrated and flashed red.

"Please, allow me," the young man, Quinn, crossed over the room to reach Sona before she could stand. He extended his hand for her.

"Thank you," Sona said, trying to discern the man's origins. Already her mind was going through possibilities. His grip was gentle but without a doubt powerful enough to crush her hand with a hairline's layer of control.

He wasn't human. He couldn't be. A vampire, perhaps? He certainly didn't belong to any of the Biblical Factions.

Quinn performed the same feat to Rias, who gladly accepted. She was just as unfazed about him as Sona. And she too had come to the same conclusion and tried to solve the problem inside her head. All without giving away a single expression.

Whether Quinn noticed or was off-put by their reaction, he didn't show. Instead, he gave a courteous bow, introduced himself, and asked them if they would like to have him as their butler for the evening and how honored he would be for it.

He was certainly charming, they'll give him that. But it felt like they were in the scene of a shoujou manga.

They followed him (ignoring the cries of disappointment from the party of girls in the lobby). He led them to a small table at the center of the room, pulled out their chairs— Sona first and then Rias— and then went over the menu with them.

More options. More overwhelming options. He pulled out a hand-held tablet from his inner pocket and showed them what could be purchased. Meals, drinks, deserts, to even activities.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. An exotic special of the day. Not on the menu? Then a request to the chef can be made.

There were so many different blends of sodas, teas, coffees, and beverages in every color of the rainbow. Not on the menu? Then a request to the bartender can be made.

Oh. There was the wine selection Akeno had mentioned. It certainly made Rias and Sona blink. Some of the selection was high-class. As well as other alcoholic beverages.

The desert menu was more of an inventory list of things found in a candy store and a bakery. Not on the menu? Then a request can also be made.

Activities were games available at the table. There was a long list of card games— and not just traditional playing cards; things like Pokemon, or Yu-Gi-Oh, and Magic the Gathering, and other things neither of the girls recognized. And there was a long list of board games as well.

"It certainly is something…" Sona leaned into her chair as she thought aloud. "I see why this place is so… regarded. There is always something to do. Endless combinations."

"I can just sit here and read my series?" Rias blanched as she continued to look at the activities section. "Manga? Anime? Movies? Music? Video games? Honestly, is there anything you don't provide?"

"I take it as my professional pride to always be able to cater to the needs of my mistresses," Quinn answered in a humble voice. "If there is anything you have in mind, please do not hesitate to ask and I will serve you to my utmost best."

Sona and Rias exchanged another look.

Here was their chance. They needed to get to work.

"How often do you get strange requests?" Rias jumped in. "I mean things like… cosplay dress-up or… treating the girls like princesses?"

"Both are more common than you might think," Quinn answered without hesitation. "In the activities section you will find some examples. Though those can only be performed within a private room otherwise it distracts the other customers, you see. I can pretend to be any particular character in any media and fulfill any role. The café also has special events such as ballroom dancing, performances of plays, date-nights with any servant of your choice, private movie screenings, and concerts. Those, however, are exclusive to our VIP ticket holders."

They exchanged another look. This time full of worry.

"This is all a bit… much," Rias admitted.

"I am terribly sorry," Quinn said and sounded like he meant it. "You wouldn't be the first to be so distraught over the selection. Might I suggest starting with something simple? Perhaps some tea and a sweet snack? Do you have any preferences or shall I surprise you?"

"Surprise us," Sona requested.

"Any allergies I should be aware of?" Quinn asked next. "I wouldn't want anything to happen through my carelessness."

"Nothing from either of us. Thank you."

He excused himself and headed towards the kitchens.

"Do you think we should throw parties?" Rias asked with a thoughtful tone. "You know, invite our clients and have them dance with us or something? Either as a reward or maybe a chance to draw up more contracts during?"

"…If it comes down to it," Sona considered. "Rias, look over there. The man with the orange tie."

Rias was able to see where Sona's eyes drifted towards without having to turn her head. The sight of a Devil transcended that of a human's. She saw the young man in his early thirties chatting away with one of the maids. He looked stressed while she was comforting him.

"That was Ruruko's client," Sona said. "And the bald man to your left; that was Yura's. Looking around… I recognize a lot of the people here."

Rias let her frown show for the moment as she looked around. Nobody paid her any attention while they were distracted by their own fantasies. Unfortunately, she too recognized a good number of people.

"So it is true then…" she sighed and went back to facing Sona. "I don't believe it. This place, just one place, has taken our clients! What do they provide that Devils can't? We grant _wishes_!"

"At a cost," Sona pointed out. She picked up Quinn's tablet and looked through the contents. Her eyes flicked across the screen while scanning both the items as well as their listed prices. "You can eat whatever you want. You can experiment. You spend time with impressive looking company. You can even customize your experience to fit your fantasies. You can wish for seemingly anything."

She put the tablet down and looked squarely at her friend. "Rias, they are offering exactly what we provide as Devils. At a lower cost than what we charge."

"…We seriously can't be losing to a _maid café_ ," Rias said bitterly.

Sona tapped her under the table with her foot. Her eyes had flicked up and spotted Quinn returning with a silver tray. He had a very lovely tea set, the kind that wasn't cheap even to the standards of the pair of High Class Devils. He thanked them for waiting and poured them each a cup while preparing a dish of a baked good.

He also asked them if they wanted fresh crème with their strudel. Sona declined; Rias accepted.

Sona cut into the strudel with a fork and knife and took her first bite. Rias first took a sip of the tea.

Both paused after the first taste.

Slowly, they put their hands down and stared in silence.

"Is everything to your liking?" Quinn asked. He stood erect and ready to ready to respond to any of their requests.

"…It's better than Akeno's," Rias said in a low voice. Her hands cradled around the cup before taking another sip.

"So that's it then…" Sona muttered below her breath. She adjusted her glasses before speaking up to Quinn, "Quinn-san, are you permitted to join us at the table and exchange a few words?"

"If I have your permission I would gladly join your company," he responded. "You are my mistresses for the evening."

"Then please," Sona nodded.

He grabbed a chair from a nearby table and seated himself between them. He smiled at them both and began to converse, "Based on the uniforms… you are both students from Kuoh Academy?"

"We are," Rias responded, still refusing to let go of her tea. "We are both third-year students. But never mind about us. Tell us about yourself, Quinn-san. I didn't see your profile at the front desk."

"Ah, that is because I am not a regular butler," he locked eyes with Rias while gesturing with his off hand. "I am what you might call the Head Butler of this establishment. I am tasked with training the new male employees and managing their duties. I do, on occasion, step in and perform from time to time. Such as right now."

"Are you the manager of this place?" Sona cut in.

"No, I am but a simple servant," he said quickly.

"Where do you come from, Quinn-san?" Rias went back in. "Your Japanese is flawless, by the way."

"Thank you," he smiled at the compliment and took it sincerely. "America, actually. Most of my time was spent in Los Angeles but I regularly traveled across the country on business."

"Do you know any other languages?" Sona asked.

"I can also speak English, French, Italian, Arabic, and Spanish," he answered without a hint of pride. "America is a very broad country with many different dialects and customs."

"That's quite the number of languages…" Sona muttered slightly impressed. He could be telling the truth. Or he could have an ability like Language of the Devils. "Was there a reason for you learning so many languages?"

"I must say it was due to the demand of my profession of choice," he said, looking away with a thoughtful expression. He adjusted his glasses before looking back at Rias. "Mistress, would you like another cup?"

"O-Oh," Rias blinked as she realized she had finished her tea. She did want another cup, but the light kick to her shin under the table said they had higher priorities. "No thank you, Quinn-san. Please continue telling us about yourself. How long have you been working here?"

"Since the founding of the establishment," he said with a hint of pride in his voice.

"And how long has this place been here?" Sona asked. "It's a little out of the way from our normal route to school. Tonight was the first time we've heard of its existence."

"We will be celebrating our seven month anniversary on the following Friday," he stated.

The two Devils exchanged a look. Seven months. A little more than half a year and around the same time their summoning requests began to dwindle.

There was no more doubt this place was connected to their problem.

"Quinn-san," Sona's eyes became sharp as she regarded him. "Can you tell us a little more about this place? It all seems so interesting."

"Certainly," he said with a charming smile. "Anything for my mistresses."

0-0-0

An hour later, the two Devils learned what they could without raising suspicions. They blended in their questions with inquiries about Quinn and a few topics to gossip about. The way he spoke with them was familiar, friendly, and charming without any clear intentions. It was as though he had been their friend for a long time and the three of them were catching up on past events.

"Thank you for a wonderful time, Quinn-san," Rias smiled back at him when she felt it was time enough.

"I'm very glad you enjoyed yourself, My Lady Gremory," Quinn stood and gave a bow. "You are both always welcomed here and I hope to see you again soon."

Rias had slipped in her name to get a reaction out of him. He didn't respond in any way they could observe. He either didn't recognize the name or was that great of an actor.

"How do we settle the bill?" Sona asked.

"My mistress," Quinn put a hand on his chest and gave another bow. "Everything as of this evening has been complimentary. The owners wished for it personally."

Alarms started to sound off in their heads. Why would the owners give them such treatment? That girl at the front desk… she must have recognized them. The owners must have known they were here.

"Are they in?" Rias asked, continuing to play the act of innocence until someone called her bluff. "That's awfully nice of them and we would like to give them our thanks. It's the least we can do for such wonderful treatment."

Quinn adjusted his glasses as he pondered for a moment, "…Yes, the owners are present this evening. But they are rather busy. I apologize on their behalf if it seems rude."

"Are you sure there isn't anything you can do to reach them?" Sona asked, tipping her glasses and using a glamour against Quinn. Her eyes met his without fail as she transferred her demonic energy into her intentions.

Quinn blinked once. It was the only sign he was affected by her hypnotism.

"If that is your wish," he said while gesturing with his hand for them to follow him. "If you will please come with me, I will take you to a private room while I fetch them."

And he did. He took them to the largest room placed at the side of the building. It was the one that held conference meetings with a long table for twenty people and a stocked bar in the corner. He pushed their chairs in as he excused himself and sealed the room.

The two didn't say a word. They already knew the plan.

The door reopened but Quinn wasn't the one who entered.

The two receptionists from the front entered instead. The boy shut the door behind him and took a few leaps to catch up with the girl who didn't wait for him.

The two Devils had disregarded them completely when they first entered the café.

Not a word was exchanged as they sat across of each other. The boy leaned forward with his hands cupped together on the table. He had a crooked grin as he waited for something to happen. The girl had dropped all pleasantness she had before in exchange for an analytical gaze. She leaned most of her weight against the right armrest.

"…Hi," said the boy as he looked from Sona and Rias and back again. "How's it going?"

"You are the owners of the establishment?" Rias asked to get things rolling.

"Yup," the boy smacked his lips as he said. When he smiled, the slant of his lips was crooked as though he couldn't stretch his mouth the right way. It made him look wolfish.

"Yes," the girl said simply with a tint of impatience.

"So!" the boy said, drumming his hands on the table before leaning back in his seat. Everything about him was dramatic. "What can the two of us do for you? Quinn didn't do anything, did he? Ladies, ladies, I'm sure we can come to some sort of understanding before suing us. Let's not resort to— GYAH!"

The girl jabbed him with the same electric pen. She gave him a dirty look, "If anyone's going to resort to sexual harassment, it'd be you."

"I did not say sexual harassment," he pointed out, and then quickly scooted his chair away to get out of her reach.

"What my colleague is trying to say…" the girl shifted in her seat to regard the two Devils. "What is it you'd like to discuss? It must be _so_ important to demand the both of us… as well as to try and horrendously fail at mesmerizing my Quinny."

Sona's glamour had failed. Quinn hadn't been affected at all. Instead, he played along and fetched the owners while telling them about it. He also put them in a private room rather than bringing the owners to the table in order to keep the conversation away from the public.

"We meant no disrespect," Rias began in an apologetic tone.

"I don't drug any of your servants after being politely declined," the girl snapped back. "Especially after being treated with my best hospitality."

"Don't mind her," the boy leaned back against the table. "She's just a little touchy whenever it involves her favorite toy. Let's try something else. We know who you are, Sona Sitri, Rias Gremory. I'm Tony P. Lolifor, owner of this pleasure bin and manager of the maids. Hi there! And this is…"

He smiled at his partner while rolling his wrist to get her to join in. He kept going until she rolled her eyes and spoke up.

"Shotalini," she said. "The other owner."

"…You can just call her Momo," the boy, Lolifor, shifted once more in his seat. "Everyone does."

"It's better than giving a pair of Devils my actual name," she muttered.

These two were the owners? They couldn't be any older than Sona and Rias. Seventeen or eighteen, really. It was hard to tell with their mannerisms and appearances. Most would have assumed to be kids working a spare-time job for some spending money.

They also knew who Rias and Sona were. Sona never once gave out her name so Quinn couldn't have told them. It would also explain why they chose their house's best to serve them.

To serve them… or to keep an eye on them?

"If you are aware of who and what we are, then you must be aware of our position within the city," Sona spoke up. "We are both the overseers of the city."

"We haven't broken any rules," Momo cut in. "This is a mortal business. We've gone through all the inspections and whatnot with the _human_ government. Some of our employees and customers might be of the supernatural side of things, but that's also none of your business. There are these things called confidentiality.

"If your business with us concerns the supernatural, you didn't need to sneak in pretending to be customers. Making an appointment would have sufficed."

"…She gets _really_ touchy," Lolifor defended. He put up his hand when she went to stab him again. "But! But… she kinda raises a good point. What, uh, why do the overseers need to see us? Seriously this time, did one of our employees do something?"

So they knew about the two Devils but not why they were here. Both of their minds raced to use this opportunity.

"As Devils, we are drawn towards humans with large amounts of greed," Rias began to weave a story. "We were drawn towards here but… admittedly, a little distracted by the services. We came here in hopes of making a contract with the proprietor of this café."

"There's also a matter of learning all we can about the potential client for negotiations," Sona interjected. "As successful entrepreneurs, surely you understand this importance? We wanted to experience what you had to offer before making an offer ourselves."

"Contract…?" Lolifor said in a low voice as his brows furrowed slightly. "You mean like a trade? I get to make a wish?"

"As Devils we can grant any desire," Rias leapt in with her best smile to date. "Within reason, of course. And if you can pay the price."

"I always wanted one of these!" he replied back with excitement, almost like a child. "I got it! I would like… a donut!"

His partner looked a little more intrigued this time.

"…I can grant you that, if you'd like," Rias spoke slowly and unsurely. "But are you sure that's all you want? Don't you at least want to hear the terms and conditions? Or even the price?"

"It's fine," he waved it off. "I know how these things work. I can afford it. One donut, please! Glazed and with sprinkles!"

"Rias," Sona spoke. "He's toying with us."

"Actually… he's not," Momo said.

"Sorry if it seems that way," Lolifor apologized. "I'm actually pretty serious about it. Think about it. I love donuts. We bake them here. Now, while I think she's the best baker I know, I'm pretty sure she's nothing compared to something the embodiment of man's desires can concoct. Gluttony is one of the biggest sins out there. I'm pretty hungry for the best donut I'll ever have."

"…V-Very well," Rias said, struggling to put her smile back up. "One donut it is. Glazed and with sprinkles."

She raised her hand over the table. A magic circle sprouted from her palm.

In a flash of light, his request manifested on a silver plate. She slid it forward for him to reach.

Lolifor's eyes lit up with wonder. He thanked her, took the plate, and brought the donut up for a bite.

"Hmm," he said as he chewed. His head bobbled around with every chew. "Hmm! Hmhmm… Hmmmmmm! Hmm… Hm."

He swallowed, smacked his lips, and stared at the donut. "Oh yeah, this definitely beats any flavor I've ever had. Majestic. It reminds me of a griffon! Proud and mighty and certainly something we mortals cannot question nor hope to match."

"…Thank you?" Rias wasn't sure how to respond to the strange compliment.

"But," his expression softened to one of disappointment. "It is a very sad and lonely creature. A little too unique. A little too proud of itself and doesn't know the purpose of its existence. It's only hope of filling the hole— no pun intended— is to gather all the little toys no one wants to buy and give them a home. It rules over the island of misfit toys and they are its family."

She didn't know why, but his words struck a chord with her. There was a deeper meaning lined with his words and they were meant for her exclusively.

"…It also makes me want a glass of milk," he said next, wiggling in his chair to reach for his cellphone, and bringing it to his ear. "And another donut. Anybody want anything? I'm going to call… Hey, Moé, I need a glass of milk. Nobody wants anything? No? Tea? Cookies? No? Alright. And one, a donut. Cool!"

He hung up and continued to eat the donut Rias conjured.

"So what's the damage?" he asked between bites.

"Normally we would charge something of equal value but… consider it on the house. A thank you for your generous hospitality this evening."

"Sweet," he gave her a thumbs-up while stuffing the rest into his mouth. He kept a hand pressed to his lips as he chewed, making sure nothing fell out.

"My turn," Momo spoke up as she looked straight at Sona. "I'm thinking about ruling the world. How much would that cost me?"

"An astronomical amount," Sona answered straight away. It wasn't the first time someone has asked for the same thing. "Something of equal value must be given. I'm sorry, but most can't afford the bare minimum price that would ruin them financially. And even if they could, it is the bare minimum. The rest of the cost would be your life. You'd simply drop dead the second the world is yours."

"Suppose I'm not ruined financially," Momo grossed as she rested a few fingers on her cheek. A coy smile started to spread the longer she talked. "Suppose I have more than enough money to buy a small country, demolish every building and rebuild them again, purposely start a rebellion, support both sides, and then create a third faction to blindside them both. And still live comfortably in the palace I've refurbished once every season because, let's face it, looking at the same tacky wallpaper gets boring very quickly."

"…We have an app for such purposes," Sona chose to say rather than to respond to her ludicrous example. "It will provide you with a much better detailed quote."

She pulled out her phone and punched in the command. _Taking over the world._ And when it requested the client's name, Sona punched in 'Momo Shotalini'.

The cost _wasn't_ her life or eternal soul. It was…

"Ten years of your life?!" Sona lowered the phone to gaze at the girl.

It would only cost her ten years.

Momo frowned at the idea, "Is that ten years as in I age ten years or ten years off of my maximum expectancy? I'm going to assume the former because shedding my last ten years doesn't sound profitable. Especially if I die early, which I probably will. I'd sooner kill myself than let myself get old and wrinkly. Gross. No thank you. I'm going to have to withhold my wish. I'd only have two years left of my prime."

Meanwhile, Sona kept punching in the wish into her phone. The same result kept popping up. Maybe the app was acting up today? Some new glitch or virus in the server? It must have. There was no way someone could actually afford to overthrow the _entire world_ while needing a little bit of help from the Devils. Just ten years, which was basically ten percent of her life.

Meaning, she would only need ten percent of her total expenses to be covered by the Devils.

Ridiculous. That couldn't be possible.

The door opened and a tall, lanky young man entered. He had a tray with a single donut and a glass of milk.

"High school girls?" he asked as he handed the things to Lolifor.

"High school girls!" Lolifor responded with his wolfish smile.

"…Thank you," the young man said as though he had received a blessing.

"Always, Moé," Lolifor's smile broadened while giving him a thumbs-up.

The young man, Moé, slipped out of the room.

Lolifor sipped some milk before beginning on his new donut.

"See," he said, paused to finish chewing, and leaned forward. He didn't lean against the table. He did so to get a better look at them. "There's your first problem. Your prices. They don't make sense. Equal value? Okay, let's say this. This donut? Do you know how much it costs to make? We average the single donut to cost at about… what was it… eighty-nine yen?"

"Eighty-eight," Momo corrected. She continued, "Do you know how much we charge per serving? Two hundred yen. We make more than twice the cost."

"That aside," Lolifor waved a hand and scooted his chair a little closer to the table. "It's pretty convenient. Expressive delivery at top quality. You made it appear out of thin air in an instant. I'm going to assume you formed it with magic… or whatever it is you use. It's just _poof_ , there! No need for ingredients and no haggling with an annoying chef down in Hell. It literally costs you no money to make this. You make a profit no matter what!

"But to me, the consumer? Still the damn best donut I've ever had. And instant! That's the most important part. I got it exactly when I asked for it! So I really gotta ask how much you would charge. Equal value? Your bill tonight would have been 6500 yen. Even if you charge me half that amount, that's still a freakishly expensive donut.

"Between the 3250 yen donut that I can have right now or the 200 yen donut I need to get up and get myself… I'd choose the 200 yen one without hesitation. The quality doesn't matter. Honestly? Your prices are too high. I cringe at the idea of paying that much for a donut."

The two Devils tried their hardest to not look at the other this time.

As for the donut… he had asked for it for the sole purpose of finding an understanding in how they conduct business.

"Which raises the question what you have to offer us and how much we can benefit from it," Momo scooted her chair closer and leaned on both her elbows at the edge. She smiled at them. "Let's drop the charade. I have a feeling why you came here. After all… most of your— _heheh—_ loyal clients come here."

They both broke into a cold sweat. But they still refused to let their expressions break.

However, they had nothing to further the conversation. They had no advantage. She had called on their bluff and they had nothing to counter it with.

"Quick question," Lolifor spoke up. "But what happens when a Devil can't make deals? Do you guys starve or something?"

"Devils… do grow in power the more greed they consume," Sona answered. "But it isn't sustenance. We require nourishment just as much as you humans do."

"We'd have to go back to the Underworld," Rias admitted. "It's happened before in the old days when the Church was at the peak of its power. Rarely does it happen in today's time."

"That is not to say we can't make contracts," Sona spoke quickly. "Kuoh is a large city. Millions of people live here. Each one of them full of desires of their own for us to bargain with. Lolifor-san, you are aware of Devils and of our status. But you know little about us?"

Momo knew she had tried to divert the conversation. She made a gesture with her hands; the sign 'safe' within a game of baseball.

"Never got the chance to deal with one before," Lolifor said with a toothy smile. His teeth were jagged and canines longer than they should be. Not necessarily vampiric. But it did add to his impression of a wolfish character. "Momo and I are only aware of the supernatural enough to know what surrounds us. We do our best to not get involved."

"And you say some of your employees are of supernatural descent?" she went on.

"Might be," Momo raised a finger. "But, supposing any of them are, they are here legally and have gone through all of your inspections, _overseer._ Is there anything you can offer us of actual interest? If not, then we need to get back to work. I don't want Quinny to work the front for too long. People get disappointed when they can't have him."

"We were considering sponsoring your café," Rias jumped in before they could leave.

"…In what way?" Momo asked with a blunt stare.

"Both of our families are of the rank of dukedom within the Underworld," Rias went on. "We're very resourceful. We can provide you with financial support, connections, advertisements, and extra staff if needed."

"That's right," Sona joined in. "Though it is a little unconventional, it is possible to make a contract since there are two of you. With two Pillar Families supporting your café, you can expect to see your sales skyrocket."

The two humans exchanged a look.

And then they started laughing.

"Sitri, sweetheart," Momo breathed out between giggles. "We already have those things. We _literally_ have the money to do all those things I said earlier. Money isn't the issue. We have connections. And there is no better advertisement than word of mouth. I can tweet something, get a bunch of losers to show up, and they'll each tell all their internet dweebs about it. Snowball effect."

"We didn't open this servant café because of _money_ ," Lolifor chuckled. "No! We did it because we hate each other!"

They had lost Rias and Sona.

"It's a simple wager," Momo answered after looking at their faces. "To finally see which one of us is the better entrepreneur. Winner take all. We literally chose this profession by a game of darts."

"So… you have no interest at all in expanding your business," Sona stated.

"Definitely not together!" Momo retorted. " _Maybe_ if I win and don't burn the place down afterwards. No. What you're offering is to make the fire bigger. It doesn't help us in any way."

"What if we make the same deal to just one of you then?" light shone in Rias' eyes at the opportunity. "To get the upper hand over the other?"

"It breaks the rules we set up for ourselves," Lolifor shrugged. "We gotta do this honorably. It's a matter of professional pride. I hate her just enough to prove I'm better before killing her."

"Ditto," Momo said with a solemn nod.

"But~" Lolifor's eyes shone the same way Rias' did at an opportunity. "There is one way you can help me without breaking the rules."

Momo eyed him.

Lolifor looked at the two Devils. "How would the both of you like to work here?"

"Dammit, Anthony," Momo pushed her chair back and stood. "Good night, Gremory, Sitri. Thank you for coming this evening and we do hope to see you again. You're always welcome here… provided you mind your manners."

She turned quickly and walked out of the room.

"I'm going to have to politely decline, Lolifor-san," Sona answered first, eying Momo as she left until the door was slammed shut.

"I'm going to decline as well, but thank you for the offer," Rias said next.

"Not even as a contract?" he asked with a raised brow.

The two Devils exchanged a look.

"Please understand we are the Kings of our Peerage," Sona began. "That is to say, we are matriarchs with a select amount of servants. Such requests would go to them. The sort of requests made to us are things like exorcisms, eliminating of threats stronger than the average human, or—"

"The conjuration of deep fried dough?" Lolifor cut in with a bit of humor.

"Exceptions," Rias said without losing her smile or grace. "Also, having a routine schedule would block off our time with other clients wanting to summon us. And there are emergencies that demand our immediate attention when the time comes. We would need each of our servants to be available at any notice."

"There are laws about sick days and vacation," Lolifor replied. "There's also a pretty high tolerance for emergency situations. We also provide health insurance to each of our employees. Now, I say _employees_ but everyone here are actually contractors who each get paid at their own rate. Therefore, it wouldn't be unreasonable if I pay you in an… unconventional way."

"Lolifor-san," Sona tried to not sigh because he wouldn't take a hint. "Even if we did agree, I very highly doubt you can offer us anything for payment. Not to sound shrewd, but Rias and I come from wealthy families."

"I was thinking about paying you in greed," he shrugged at the idea.

"You?" Rias asked. "In greed? I don't think you understand how dealing with Devils work. We use equivalent exchange as a medium. When you ask for something, you are giving up something of equal value in order to achieve your desires. The sacrifice is what you are giving us."

"The greater the desire and materialistic worth of it, the higher the cost," Sona went on. "We are Devils of high stature. We have pedigrees. You would be paying more than the average hourly rate of a normal waitress."

"I think I can afford it," Lolifor said, putting his hands on his chest and giving a dramatic expression of feigned harm. He leaned forward again and tapped a few fingers on the edge. "I happen to have a really sweet place. It's got beautiful girls, just like you, working it. They bring in customers, make them feel great about themselves, and reap their hard-earned cash.

"It's the exact same you do as Devils, isn't it?

"Do you think people keep coming here for the tea? Or food? No. They come here for the good company and because that company makes them feel great about themselves. Everyone who works here makes them think their lives matter. They fall in love with that feeling and come back. When they feel depressed, they come back. When they're stressed, they come back. When they're bored, they come back. Even when they're happy, _they come back._

"It's why we offer so much to do, have such a variety of servants, and charge so little for it. And with the way we've been doing things, it's only going to get bigger.

"I'm offering you two exactly that. My customers! Fifty percent of anything you two bring in will belong to you. That is my contract to you. Go out and keep spreading your summoning coupons if you want. Or you can let the people flock to one convenient place and suck them dry to your heart's content."

The two of them thought about it. Really thought about it.

In a way… they would be making bank. They would still be performing their duties as Devils. They would still be catering to humans wanting something out of them. And they in turn would sacrifice something to them. If Lolifor gave them half the profit, he wasn't just giving up his greed; he would be delivering them his customer's greed as well.

He had just offered them access to what was essentially a greed-drive. Something like this hadn't been done since…

"This sounds like prostitution," Sona said once her mind came to that conclusion. Her eyes narrowed while her cheeks flushed.

"So's every other job on the planet," Lolifor said wearily. He rolled his hand around on his wrist while rolling his eyes dramatically. "You perform a feat of physical labor to a consumer, who gets some sense of satisfaction from it, and get paid for it. If you want to be specific, I'm not going to ask you to sexually please any of our customers."

"I have conditions," Rias raised a finger.

"R-Rias!" Sona blanched.

"I'm all ears," Lolifor said quickly. From his pants pocket did he pull out a notepad and pen. He was ready to write down what she had.

"This deal goes for everyone within my peerage," Rias said first. "I have two girls and two boys. However, only one of them is available for work. I understand this will mean Kiba will be working for your competition. But I will not allow him to be excluded from this."

"Two girls, one boy," Lolifor muttered as his pen scratched. "Are the girls as appealing as you are? And how dangerous is the dude?"

"A-All of them?" Sona blinked.

"Akeno holds the place as second on the school popularity charts… right underneath me," Rias added at last part with a bit of pride. "Koneko is a first-year but is called the School Mascot for her cuteness. And Kiba is in first place on the male roster."

"…Shit," Lolifor cursed but continued to scribble.

"I have all girls," Sona said quickly. There was no way she was going to be excluded from this deal! Her entire peerage depended on it! "Six of them!"

"Six?" Lolifor asked with a sharp gaze in his eyes. He flipped to a new page. "Tell me _everything_."

0-0-0

"…Buchou, Rias…" Akeno lowered the contract so she could look evenly at her eyes. "Fifty percent _isn't_ equivalent exchange. He's still making a profit. And if we increase his sales, he's the one who comes on top. Sure we both share the spoils, but we still get the same amount of greed while he gets closer to his goal. From what you've told me, money was never the issue.

"If anything… this feels more like ten percent. No. Minimum wage."

"I… But… He…" Rias was sitting on her chair with her head in her hands. "I am the Heir to House Gremory. How did a human dictate the negotiations?"

"Because he had all the chips," Koneko said in her usual blunt tone.

"Because he called your bluff," Kiba added.

"Because he knew how to lie, trick you into releasing valuable information, and took advantage of your desperation as well as your rivalry with Sona," Akeno piled the heat without hesitation. "Honestly… You I can understand. But Sona? How did she make a mistake like this? I wonder if Tsubaki-san is tearing her a new one?"

"This is… embarrassing!" Rias lifted her head. "I need to go back there and renegotiate the terms of the contract!"

"You should have done that _before_ signing," Akeno said with a smile that promised doom. "It's already too late. It's an official document with _your_ family seal. Can you imagine what will happen if we try to shirk away from this job?"

"…So what does that mean?" Koneko asked.

The room was silent. No one wanted to answer.

With their King hopelessly banging her head against the desk, it was Akeno who was forced to speak in their leader's place.

"It seems that starting tomorrow after school… we will be working at…"

She lifted the contract again to read the name of business.

 _ **Legion**_ was the name of the establishment.

How… poetic, Akeno thought.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a great day.

Weekends were always the busiest for obvious reasons. The sun was shining as people were bustling around the shopping district of Kuoh. Customers came and went with some still waiting for an available seat and to be served by their favorite servant. That was fine.

There was a science about having crowds. When a crowd of people gather, the average person would grow curious and wander into the crowd to see what had gathered their attention. It snowballed until the crowd became a small mob. So long as what it was that gathered them together remained to be as intriguing as before.

And _Legion_ was the most intriguing place in the boulevard. While people waited in line at the reception desk or huddled in the lounge for a seat, shoppers passing by would see and wonder what made this place so special. With the lunch hour coming soon, most ventured in.

In a sense, it was free advertisement.

Unfortunately, it seemed to not be affecting the male populous today.

Something was going down in the shopping district that had the boulevard flooded with women. Some super sale in a couple of the dress and shoe stores. That snowballed to all other women's accessories slapping on flash sales. Word got around, women tweeted to their coworkers and friends, and more women arrived to hound the place like ravenous wolves smelling a bleeding lamb.

The usual female clientele came by to gossip with their favorite butlers. Some of them even wanted to chat with the maids, though those were too few today. Most of the maids had nothing to do and were supporting the butlers with food orders.

However, due to the conditions of their wager, Lolifor wasn't making any money today. His compatriot and bane of his existence, Momo dearest, was the one reaping the full harvest of today's fruit.

There were methods to counter this. Subterfuge, propaganda, and leaking a special offer for male clientele online were some of them. And they were still permitted in their wager— they were still methods of business and anything went in this game of theirs. However, for the long goal, it would be better to support Momo.

He treated today as indirect advertisement.

"Oh, hey, Ise," Lolifor's smile never shifted as he helped one woman find a butler and sent her off. The first male of the day had arrived and one of his best customers at that. "Just you today? Asia's working and she'll love to see you."

The boy was different today. He didn't have the other two leeches attached to his arm, which wasn't irregular as they often cheated on the other and snuck in solo. There was an understanding among the three of them where they won't go without all of them. It was a vow they had each broken.

It wouldn't be good for business if a confrontation broke out in the middle of his establishment. Lolifor had caught wind of their oath and gave them complimentary VIP services whenever more than one of them showed up without the others' notice. And always they missed another.

So far, only Hyoudou Issei had arrived today. Though Lolifor expected the other two background characters to show up sometime today. More than that, Issei had dressed well with clear intent. The boy had taken a little extra care in his appearance today.

His face said otherwise though. Lolifor was able to read him like a book and know what the boy was going to say.

"Actually… about that," Issei bowed his head and rubbed the back of his head. His expression was full of guilt. "Can I ask for a favor? Can I speak with Asia-chan? Just for a sec? There's something really important I need to tell her…"

Momo was giving him a sideways glance as soon as she finished the next person in line. Immediately his ribs tingled with phantom pain. She was silently telling Lolifor to deal with the matter as discreetly as possible and to not cause a scene at their busiest time. Or else.

He ignore her. While, sure, the occasional creep showed up to confess their love to the maids, they were dealt with. Issei… wasn't one of those.

Mostly because the kid was too much of a pussy to dare.

"Yeah, sure," Lolifor responded as he reached for the phone. "I'll call for her. Just wait outside."

"Thanks," Issei gave a small smile as he excused himself.

Lolifor did as was requested. He called the backroom, asked for Asia, and told her there was someone visiting her out front. As soon as he put the phone down, he waved for the next customer to approach.

He watched Asia cross through the lobby while he went through the normal procedure with the next two customers. He watched her exit the building, meet up with Issei off of the side from the entrance, and exchange a few short words. Issei bowed to her and Asia looked shocked. To anyone observing, it looked like a normal confession. The women in the lobby watching through the glass pane were whispering and snickering among themselves.

Asia regained her composure. She put up her best smile, said something, and waited for Issei's response. Issei blinked, raised his head, and stared at Asia for a moment. He eventually smiled, rubbed the back of his head, a few more words were exchanged, and Asia waved him off as he went on his way.

It looked like he had just been rejected. Both children were putting up a front to pretend the embarrassing situation never happened.

However, there were too many things wrong.

Smiling was a language of its own. It wasn't always full of happiness. It had its own rules of grammar and punctuation. Hardly anyone knew how to read it aside from the obvious lines.

When the third customer came up in line (and was a total cunt— aka _tsundere_ — about not wanting the butler but felt obligated to request him), Asia walked back through the lobby and past the reception desk. She never dropped her smile.

When finished, Lolifor didn't wave for the next customer. He pretended to be busy by looking down behind the desk. He argued with himself.

While Lolifor understood the human psyche better than _those Devils_ (and by God were they bland when starting out), he was not a man of morality. Or emotions. Both of those weren't useful in the methodical world of business.

But the human resource was the single most valuable resource in the business world. And humans ran off of emotions. And to have negative emotions meant an abrupt decrease in productivity and efficiency.

He ended up picking up the phone again and this time pressed the button for the bar. "Moé, take over for me."

He received an affirmative. It was hardly noon. The barkeep had nothing to do and he was overqualified to replace Lolifor in this task.

Minutes later, he found Asia by herself in one of the private rooms. Every maid had a keycard that allowed them access into a room, which would alert the security network, as well as pop up their name on the screen on the door. Finding her wasn't difficult.

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Lolifor," she said, sniffling. She had been crying. "I-I know I'm not supposed to use a room like this. I'll get back to work!"

He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, placing his hands in his pockets. He stared at Asia for a moment.

"Asia, no, please," he said in a bland tone. He didn't have his usual charming (if not deceptively fake) smile. "You're not cute when you're crying. Tell me what's wrong."

He also had no idea how to comfort a lady without trying to get in her pants. It was like asking anyone to perform a habitual practice _backwards_. It was the same thing, just in a different direction.

Asia was a gorgeous creature who rivaled the angels. But… she was a little old for his tastes.

"It's…" Asia fidgeted in her seat for a moment. "Ise-kun. He… He wanted to tell me something."

"Uh huh…" Lolifor nodded slowly, gesturing her to continue.

"He said he can't see me anymore…" Asia whispered softly. "He… thought I should know."

Lolifor didn't think of the implications on why Asia would by crying over something like this. He had a couple of educated guesses but that wasn't the problem.

Issei was one of his best customers. To lose him meant a huge depletion in his profits. Which meant he was now at a horrible disadvantage to Momo.

"Did he say why?" he asked.

Issei was still some kid in high school who probably freeloaded off his parents. They more than likely found out he spent the money they gave him on this place and forbade him from coming again.

Already Lolifor was formulating a plan to convert the boy's parents to the truth of the world.

Asia didn't answer for a long moment. "He… he said he got a girlfriend."

Silence.

"What," Lolifor's voice was flat enough to make a road off of.

"I… I'm happy for him," Asia went on with a saddened smile and soft voice. "Really, I am. I wished him well. But… I don't know why I'm crying. Ise-kun, he… Mr. Lolifor, do you know why—"

"Yeah, hold that thought," Lolifor said as he was in the middle of punching a command onto the service phone on the wall.

There came a chime that rang throughout the entire building, including through the private rooms, connecting everything to the phone Lolifor was using.

"Paging Orange-sensei," he said in his professional voice used in the front desk. "Last call. Orange-sensei. Your table is ready."

He hit the button to end the announcement before hanging up the receiver.

"…Eh?" Asia squeaked. "Mr. Lolifor… t-that was."

"It is," he growled as his eyes sharpened. He turned around and put his hands on his hips. "We need to hurry Asia. We have a serious Code: Orange."

0-0-0

"Code: Orange," Sona muttered as her hand twitched. She was using all of her mentality to compel her hand from pinching the ridge of her nose. "And I quote directly from your employee manual: _When one client of Legion falls into a relationship._ I read about it. I did not think you were this serious about it."

"Is it really such an emergency to call all of us here?" Tsubaki, her Queen, questioned with a raised hand.

Roughly half of the maids currently working today had been gathered to a hidden room behind the wine cellar. The other half were still topside putting up a front for the establishment. To be more clear, the human girls were still working while those belonging to the supernatural were dragged down here.

Rias, Sona, and their Queens were the four Devils present. There was one Fallen Angel present, a lycanthrope, a fairy, and two others that couldn't be identified with them. The only pure human present was Lolifor himself and Asia Argento.

The bartender was also present. He was a tall and lanky young man the same age as Sona with clammy skin and soft brown skin. Most of the time he was an aloof man who spent more time ogling the maids instead of treating his patrons. But, today, it was the first time anyone had seen him with such a grim expression.

Sona refused to call him human because there was something off about him. While nowhere near as graceful as Quinn, the bartender bore a strikingly similar energy signature to the Head Butler.

The room Lolifor had led them to was what he called the War Room. There was an elongated table in the middle for all of them and three times more. A podium was placed at the head for Lolifor to explain things followed by a large screen behind him which took up most of the wall.

There was also a coffee and tea making station with a cart full of snacks off to the side.

"I'll have you know everything I do is serious," Lolifor began in a firm tone. He gripped both sides of the podium while looking at each of the girls. "And this can't get any more serious. Moé, the screen."

Luc Moé, the bartender, pulled out his miniature tablet and tapped a few buttons. The screen behind them lit up with a serious of smaller panels of different video feed and images popping up.

"T-That!" the Fallen girl, who looked a full decade too young to be working at this establishment, nearly leapt out of her chair.

"This previous Thursday, at 17:42, the suspect approached Hyoudou Issei and confessed," Lolifor began his briefing. Moé enlarged a security camera snapshot of a pair of high school students over the intersection bridge. "Hyoudou-san fell victim to her charm and is currently within her clutches. The target has been identified as Amano Yuuma. However… all forms of identification have been falsified with evidence of hacking into mundane networks. We're currently investigating individuals suspect victim to glamour enthrallment. We've yet to receive confirmation from our field agents."

"…We have field agents?" the lycanthrope questioned aloud.

"Lolifor-san, if I may," Rias raised her hand. "I would like to know the cause of alarm. Is it because you believe Hyoudou-san has been deceived through hypnosis?"

"Unfortunately," Lolifor shook his head ruefully, "there is no evidence that points Hyoudou-san has been placed under a compulsion. Earlier today he felt the responsibility to alert Asia on his relationship status. If he was under the girl's mind control then he wouldn't be having these sort of emotions."

"So… he is dating her of his own will," Akeno surmised. "Mittelt-chan, right? You seem to know who that is."

The Fallen girl fidgeted in her seat.

"Who she is doesn't matter," Lolifor cut in. "It's also not our business to learn of her personal matters aside from identifying her. What's more important is retrieving Hyoudou-san."

"Do you have reason to believe this girl is dangerous?" Sona asked. She knew who and what this girl was. But she had no reason to share this sort of information with Lolifor. Plus, she had her suspicions he already knew about her.

"Her position is of no relevance to this mission," Lolifor spoke sharply. "All you need to worry about is she's capable of seducing one of this establishment's most esteemed clients. We cannot afford to lose him to anybody. It will destabilize everything."

They all stared at him in silence.

"You can't be serious," Rias was the one who spoke up first. "I understand if you think Hyoudou-san is in harm's way but… don't you think that's a bit much? You want to break them up… because he's a _customer_?"

" _The_ customer, Miss Gremory," Lolifor said and then nodded at Moé.

Moé nodded back and worked on his tablet. The screen changed to a set of statistics, reports, and charts. Lolifor pulled out a laser pointer from the podium.

"The importance isn't the amount of revenue Hyoudou-san brings in with his visits," he said as he directed at a graph dedicated purely to Issei Hyoudou's expenses. "The importance is what else he brings in. Hyoudou-san offers suggestions on what to request with other clients who aren't bold enough to ask themselves, making them spend more than they intended. He talks about this place zealously, giving us a wanton of advertisement. And he compliments each and every girl working here in unique ways, proving their strongpoints while indirectly critiquing their faults. To receive the positive praise of Hyoudou-san means you are worthy to work here."

"That doesn't really mean much," Akeno said. "Hyoudou-san is notorious for being a pervert in our school."

"You think we perverts don't have standards?!" Moé shouted, shoving Lolifor off the podium so he could stand at the center. "What? You think anyone with big tits is good enough?! No! There is a science behind this!"

The screen changed again. Mathematical equations and sketches of the human body appeared.

"Size, shape, age, height, weight; these things are all calculated without conscious effort. But even with the perfect body crafted by the gods it's not enough. It's all about charm. How do you smile? How do you talk? What are you wearing? How do you pose? These are all the things that add character to the model.

"How you present yourself tells a full story on who you are and what kind of person you strive to be. It shows how much you value yourself. It shows your strengths and weaknesses. That is why we painstakingly tailored each and every uniform of everyone working here. That is why we gave you the bare minimum education in serving. We want each of our girls to maintain their personalities.

"We perverts have refined taste. We treat our admiration like wine. It is as much of an art as it is a skill. Please do not insult my brother again."

Lolifor, the nameless fairy, and Asia clapped at Moé's lecture. Everyone else stared at him with equal amounts of disgust and awe for his passion.

"I… see…" Akeno said with a strained smile.

"In any case," Lolifor approached the podium once again. "It is very vital we retrieve Hyoudou-san."

"How do you propose we do that, Master Loli?" the fairy questioned. Her eyes went back to the screen. In the corner was a live stream of the boy's date with the girl. "They look happy together. It would be a shame to break them up."

"Oh please," Lolifor blew a raspberry. "They're teenagers. The only thing more fake about their love is Mittelt's—"

"For the last time, they're not padded!" the Fallen girl shrieked while slamming her fists onto the table.

"It'll be bad for our reputation if we break up any real relationship," Moé spoke up. "We already get heat for being homewreckers with some of our clients. We try to stay away from that as best we can. I think, for something like this, how about a test?"

Lolifor raised a brow at the suggestion, "Oh? That's not a bad idea. One of ours goes and tries to seduce Ise back? If it works, the relationship was never meant to be. And if it doesn't…"

"We drop the issue and find another way to beat Momo," Moé waved a hand.

"I-I-I-I'll do it!" Asia blurted out with a heated face but a determined look. "I-Ise-kun is my client! I'll bring him back!"

"I'm going to be that guy and decline, Asia," Lolifor frowned.

"…Eh?" Asia blinked as if someone had just pulled the chair she sat on.

"Ise is as dense as he is stupid," Lolifor propped an elbow on the podium and his chin into his hand. He tilted his head to look at the screen behind him. "Even if you _finally_ confess to him, he'll think you're trying to make him come here instead. While that is what we're trying to achieve, we need something a little… bolder."

Asia looked like a kicked puppy.

"Good luck," Mittelt crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "Raynare is a serious bitch but she's good at what she does. There's nobody she can't seduce."

Nobody remarked the sudden revelation of the girl's name. They either all already knew about it or didn't care.

"Yeah, I'd hit that too…" Lolifor muttered with disgust at himself. "We need a serious countermeasure then. Akeno-chan, think you can drag Hyoudou-san back?"

"Please don't use my name so casually," she replied with a sweet smile. "And I don't believe I'm qualified for such a labor."

"I think you're overqualified," Lolifor retorted as his eyes went to her chest.

"All the more reason to not go," she bit back with the same smile.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Loli," Moé said at his side. "As gorgeous as she is, Akeno-chan is kinda boring. I'd take the 2D waifu any day over a mannequin."

He stuck his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing at Raynare on screen. She and Issei were at a café eating deserts.

With his euphemism, would that make Raynare the '2D waifu' and Akeno some faceless dress-up doll for display use only?

Akeno's smile remained perfectly still.

"So we need someone with the same grade of personality as Asia…" Lolifor muttered in thought. "Combined with the physical appeal of Akeno-chan. Hmm… Miss Gremory, heads or tails?"

"Me?" Rias blinked. "Wait. Why? What am I flipping against? To go or not?"

"Over you or Miss Sitri," Lolifor said while digging in his pocket for a coin. Moé whipped one out, already prepared for this event as though he foresaw it in the future.

"Me?!" Sona's eyes widened for an instant. "Lolifor-san, I am fully against this sort of exposition in the first place. This isn't the way to maintain the loyalty of clients. Furthermore, why are you singling me out?"

"I'd thought you'd be flattered," Lolifor replied. "I just said you're just as good as Miss Gremory."

"That's not the point."

"I just went on a couple of minutes about perverts and standards!" Moé threw up his arms. "Okay, look, Sona, while you might not be as stacked as Rias, you're just as pretty. Plus you have this appeal of the nigh-unapproachable librarian with the heart of a romantic. All you need to do is—"

"They're on the move," seriousness returned once Lolifor glanced at the screen again. He turned back to the two Devils, "Heads or tails. Or I pick which one of you two go."

"And if we refuse to partake?" Sona shot back.

"If I recall, thanks to two Kings who will not be announced, during working hours _I own you_ ," he returned with a smile that outshone anything anyone else was capable of upholding. "Heads or tails."

Rias and Sona blanched.

0-0-0

"I should file a case for sexual harassment," Sona quipped after Rias left.

"We get those all the time but not one has been able to win," Lolifor returned casually. "Besides, you'd lose all that greed. Even if the business went under and you get your contractors back, they'd all be saying 'That's not how Legion did it'. You'd be treated as knockoffs with a high unsatisfactory rating regardless if your quality becomes better than ours."

"You seem overly confident in the loyalty of your customers," Sona rebuked as she fixed her glasses. "Yet you can't seem to control a single one of them."

"You herd sheep, not pull them on leashes," he said. They stopped walking in the hallway halfway to the front dining area. "People are very easy to understand, Sona. If you make them happy, they'll always come back. Even the dour ones come back when all they do is complain. Ise isn't any different. He came back to say goodbye to Asia. He felt something with her and this place."

That, she couldn't deny. Whenever a regular contractor had to sever ties or share they wouldn't be able to summon anyone for a prolonged period, they would always contact her or her pieces and alert them. But that was always because there was something of a partnership with the humans.

This place was a restaurant. Yet, Lolifor and Miss Shotalini had been able to create something that created intimacy between strangers.

"Have a little more confidence in yourself, Miss Sitri," Lolifor shrugged.

"I do not have doubts about myself, Lolifor-san. I just don't appreciate the way you look at me or my friends."

"It's my job to look at you this way," he said with his crooked smile. "Sona, you're great and you've got an amazing pair of legs, but you're so not my type. I prefer younger women."

"…How old are you exactly, Lolifor-san?"

"Eighteen," he answered immediately.

She wasn't surprised. She knew he was young. "You're no older than I am."

"Please don't tell me you're interested," he said with an irksome expression.

"I'm only wondering how you came about this business at such an early age. There are licenses and permits that need to be filed. Those take a fair deal of time. There is also construction and refurbishing that needs to be taken into consideration. Plus, as you said, you have been managing things for more than half a year."

He didn't say anything. He was expecting her to continue.

"Shouldn't you still be in school?" she finally asked.

He was quiet for a moment. Either composing some ludicrous lie of a story or a fraction of the actual truth. "Shit went down about a year ago. School closed down."

"Have you never pursued to finish your education?" her eyes narrowed as her instincts as the student council president kicked in.

"School was a vacation to me," he bounced off the wall and gave her his erratic smile. "High school girls, teenage drama, proms and dances and all that. I even appreciated the homework. I wanted to experience that at least once. I didn't get to finish my junior year but didn't want to reenroll in another school. That place was kinda special to me. So I got my GED and… well, here I am."

"You mean… you didn't even finish your _second year_?" she was exasperated.

"My technical third," he corrected with a raised finger. "We suffer four years of high school."

She looked at him for a moment. "Have you ever considered returning to school? You're still young, Lolifor-san."

"We all gotta come back from vacation at some point, Miss Sitri," he said with his crooked smile slanting further. "I got everything I needed from school already. Don't you think I'm a successful entrepreneur?"

"To be curt… I have to say you are wasting your potential in this," she adjusted her glasses again.

"You know, that's exactly what Artemis said," he said, sticking his hands into his pocket and readying to walk back to his post. "Friend of mine back in high school. He said I could probably solve most of the world's problems and I don't doubt him. I just don't care enough to do any of that."

Sona said nothing. His words could have been as exaggerated as everything else he did. But… she recalled the wish to rule the world Shotalini requested. The application Sona used said it was highly possible, which meant Shotalini had the resources to pull it off on her own. And if she were in some sort of game with Lolifor, did that mean he too could do the same?

 _Could_ he solve most of the world's problems? Or was he simply being whimsical with his words?

"That's enough chat," he said suddenly. "We kept our customers waiting long enough. You're needed in Room 7. Someone requested you personally."

"There was no indication at all we received any customers on our side," she noted. "I did not receive a notice on my tablet nor have you received any messages."

"The podium in the War Room is linked to all devices," he answered, prepared. "There's a monitor on it that lets me control the main display hub. And the request was originally made to Tina but she's busy with something. There was a mess in the kitchen and she's helping with the cleanup."

"…I see," she nodded. "Anything about this particular client I should be aware of?"

His crooked smile stretched his lips. "Just… be as much of yourself as possible."

She didn't understand his words. She didn't have a chance to question him as he turned around and headed out of the hallway.

Sona breathed out softly before gathering her bearings. She composed herself, pulled the tablet out of the sleeve of her apron, and made her way to her appointed room. She swiped her keycard in, knocked, and entered the room.

"Excuse me," she announced as she came in. "Thank you for waiting. I'm Sona Shitori and I will be your maid for the…"

She paused as she eyed the client. She recognized him.

"Hi, Tina-chan," Genshirou Saji lit up like a beacon at the sight of her. "I don't know what it is, but you look exactly like Shitori-kaichou!"

Her brain hitched for a second.

"Genshirou-san," she sighed with disappointment. "I did not expect someone like you to be here. It will hurt the school's reputation if students of Kuoh Academy are seen in this place of debauchery."

Saji stared at her in wonderment. "Wow, Tina-chan. You really stepped your game up today. You sound exactly like Kaichou."

She blinked. She had thought it had been a misunderstanding at first. Now his words started to make sense.

"Genshirou-san," she breathed out with narrowed eyes. "Exactly who do you think I am?"

He scratched his head, "R-Right. Sorry Tina— I mean… _Kaichou_. But, just a moment. Can I just say you're amazing! You're exactly like the real Shitori-kaichou!"

By the Four Horsemen! Did… Had…

One of the maids was pretending to be Sona all this time?!

Genshirou Saji was a person of interest to Sona. As a Devil, she had been seeking proficient individuals who fit her criteria and would enhance all productivity within her peerage. Saji was one such character who was a hard-worker, intelligent (in academic fields while lacking common sense), and may or may not possess a Sacred Gear. She had been keeping an eye on him and _might_ have been guiding him into joining the Student Council of Kuoh for further investigation.

However, everyone within Kuoh knew Saji was infatuated with Sona. He didn't want to join the Student Council for his own academic career. He wanted to join to gain the chance of further courting her. She was aware of this and had painstakingly fabricated a strategy to lead him into the office without toying with his emotions by misleading him. There might be a chance he could fall with one of the two girls who were infatuated with him as well— her Bishop and Pawn respectively.

She did not realize that infatuation with her was this deeply rooted.

To the point where he would request one of the maids dress up as her!

"Thank you for doing this, Tina-chan," Saji said with a sheepish smile. "I feel like if I keep talking to you like this, I'll be able to tell Kaichou how I really feel!"

She stared at him for a moment, trying to rack up her nerves to push forward. It was hard. Her emotions were having an engagement with her mind. Too many assumptions without adequate information was compiling in such heaps it overpowered her perceptions of judgment.

"What… would you like to do, Genshirou-san?" Sona said, falling back into the words of Lolifor (of all people!) after being unable to figure out a solution for herself.

She should set him straight. She should reveal herself to him and tell him how _wrong_ this was.

But the idea never came to her. For the first time, her mind was a blank.

"I was thinking about having a chess match, if that's okay with you," Saji replied with another smile. "I just got this book on chess theory and I wanted to try out some new moves!"

"Very well," Sona nodded and went to the shelf against one of the walls.

The room contained a loveseat, two sofas, and a small table around them. A large television was mounted on the wall which was hooked up to a series of gaming systems. There was a computer in one corner for internet and gaming use. Last were the shelves full of light novels, manga, and board games.

Both Lolifor and Shotalini had a policy. Should _any_ game pieces be missing, they were to be notified immediately and they would get in contact with the manufacturers to acquire that missing piece. Because, as they said, there was nothing more annoying than being unable to play a game due to the lack of a single vital piece.

Sona pulled out one of the chess sets. While there was another that was boxed with the Chinese checkers and backgammon, the one she selected was for viewing pleasure mostly. It was a glass chess set sealed in Styrofoam with the pieces and tiles polished as either clear or misty.

In a matter of minutes, Sona and Saji sat on the same sofa with the chess set placed on the middle cushion between them. While Sona moved, Saji had a fierce look on his face as though every move would determine whether he would live or die.

Chess was her forte. Aside from her sister and Rias, there was no one who could defeat her. And, sadly, Saji was still an amateur.

She crushed him in a few short moves.

He blinked in surprise as though she had just slapped him. He was dazed while he stared at the bored, trying to figure out how he was defeated. He scratched his head a few times and she let him soak in his thoughts for a few minutes.

"I thought you weren't good at chess…" he muttered with an accusing stare.

That's right. She was pretending to be someone else who was pretending to be her. How… oxymoronic. She got a little too carried away in her sport.

"I would not be who I am if I was terrible at this game," she said with a clinical tone while adjusting her glasses. Her eyes pierced through his. "While your strategy is solid, it is too obvious. The secret to chess isn't having a better strategy— though that does help. The secret is to be able to anticipate your opponent's moves and counter them."

His eyes began to shine, "That's amazing, Tina-chan! Not only did your abilities improve but you even got Kaichou's habits down right! That's exactly how she fixes her glasses and stares at me like I'm a cockroach!"

Like… Like a cockroach? Surely that wasn't what he really thought about her, was it?

"Y-You give yourself too little credit, Genshirou-san," she stammered and tried to hold back the flush. "I don't think the real Sona would think of you as a cockroach. If anything, I believe she thinks you are an aspiring young man with so much potential. If only you dedicate yourself."

She added that last part quickly.

"Thanks, Tina-chan," he said, though sighed heavily rather than being cheered. "But you don't know her like I do. She's always on my case about my grades and how I behave in class. She's a perfectionist and she always nags on every little fault of mine. The other day she glared daggers at me because I was wearing a brown belt with black shoes."

"…You shouldn't wear brown with black, Genshirou-san," she tried to not make her teeth grind. Her lower lip was twitching.

"It was an accident!" he shot his hands up in protest. "I know that! But I was running late and grabbed whatever I could. Black and brown look so much alike when you're rushing! Nobody else noticed it."

"Perhaps they did and she was only kind enough to point it out to you in order to prevent future mishaps while they didn't," she argued.

"I don't know," he said, deflated. "It felt mean. Like she's just picking on me for some reason. I keep trying to think what I did wrong but can't remember. I'm always trying my hardest for her too…"

It felt like she was invading on the privacy of her schoolmate. Here they were talking about her without Saji being aware the person in question was present. He didn't know and felt no shame in spilling out his private feelings with her. She had no business being here.

"Perhaps… she will reflect on her conduct and see she was being a little… harsh," she tried to tell him this promise without giving something away. "And, maybe, if you condone yourself better, such as ceasing to spend your time in places like this and dedicate yourself to your studies, she will be more lenient on you. Perhaps if you talk to her rather than someone you _requested_ to act like her."

She was not gentle with her last words. She was glaring at him.

"Huh?" he looked up at her. "But… Tina-chan, what are you talking about? I never asked for you to do this."

She cocked a brow at this. When no answer was being given, she pressed, "Remind me, Genshirou-san. How _exactly_ did this situation come into being?"

"It has been a while, huh…" he muttered as he looked away in thought. "Well, when I first came here, you and I spent a long time together. You found out a lot about me, including who I liked. You promised if I came back then you'd have a surprise waiting for me. And when I did came back, you showed up dressed like how you are now! Except now your hair and makeup have gotten so much better! You look exactly like Shitori-kaichou! You even sound like her too!"

So… Tina (and by all the Princes of Darkness will she find out who that is) learned about Saji's interests, researched Sona, and had been impersonating her adequately enough to fool Saji to this degree for an unprecedented amount of time.

"You said you wanted to support me," he said, leaning against the back of the couch and folding his arms. "That you would do this until I built up the courage to confess to her. It's helped, a lot, but every chance I get does she nag about me on something. I want that moment to be _perfect_. So I'm going to keep trying to get better and meet her standards.

"So, thank you, Tina-chan. I mean it."

It was still wrong on so many levels. More so when Saji wasn't completely innocent. He had allowed this to go on for quite some time.

"Would you like another match, Genshirou-san?" Sona asked. "If you'd like, I can instruct you to help improve."

"I would like that," he said while bowing slightly.

0-0-0

"Rias, why did you drag me out for this?" Akeno asked.

"Because if I'm forced to do this then I'm taking you with me," Rias said as though they were going to be her famous last words. "You _are_ my accomplice in crime, after all."

"You're right," Akeno agreed with her mirthful smile. "I'm just as responsible for selling our souls to a lowly human for public daily humiliation as you are."

Rias tried her best to not flinch.

They received a large amount of looks from the passerby. After all, they were two girls dressed in the _Legion_ maid attire, crouching behind bushes as they spied on the date between a human and Fallen Angel.

Their job— Rias' job, actually— was to make sure Hyoudou Issei returned to the shop or not come back at all. That if they— _she—_ couldn't counter-seduce a pervert like Issei then they (she) had no business being an employee of _Legion_. However, Lolifor would continue to keep the contracts of everyone else in her peerage. Just not their King.

Getting fired wasn't the problem. It was actually a boon being able to terminate their contract. What she couldn't afford was the scandal that followed after it. Imagine that; the King of a peerage not being able to follow the most basic of tasks found regularly in Devil duty but the rest of her peerage could? What then would her credentials be to qualify her as a King in the first place?

So, here she was, sticking her nose in a business that might trigger another Great War.

She was a Devil who was trying to snatch the prey of a Fallen Angel.

…All so she could continue being a _maid_ at some restaurant. She might doom the planet to hell and fire but, hey, at least she'll be able to save face and keep her job.

She would rather go down in history as the Devil who triggered the next Great War rather than the Devil who couldn't keep a minimum wage employment!

"Do you even have a plan?" Akeno asked.

"I was thinking about waiting until they were separated and talking to him," Rias answered. "How hard could it be?"

"Wasn't it that attitude that found us working there in the first place?" Akeno's smile was beaming by this point. "Go straight in and charge directly at the enemy without a plan? We'll be scrubbing the tiles of the Fallen's church by tomorrow."

"…You're not going to let this go, are you?" Rias quipped with narrowed eyes.

"Never," Akeno replied with another bright and shining smile.

Both girls went back to watching the couple.

Issei and Raynare (known as Amano Yuma by the general populous) were the ideal teenage couple. He told jokes, she laughed. She talked, he listened. They complimented each other with words, gestures, and silent conversations in body language. Everything they did was to please the other on their date.

However, neither of the two could wrap their heads around the idea of a Fallen Angel— a being who had left Heaven for the pleasures of the flesh— to be trying to seduce the average teenage high schooler. It _might_ have been the Fallen's preferences for all they knew, but Issei was average at best. He wasn't bad looking but… he wasn't spectacular either.

He might have been desirable to several others _if_ he wasn't notorious for being a super pervert. Emphasis on the word _super_. As in, his perversity was at the level of superhuman.

The couple had left another clothing store. Issei had bought her a scrunchy, in which she wore as a bracelet at the moment, before pondering what to do next. The girl pointed at a crepe truck parked down the road. He said something back to her and went to fetch some for her.

"Good," Rias said with a firm nod. "That's our cue. Distract her while I—"

"Rias," Akeno chimed, "she's coming our way."

"Yes, and I knew you were there for some time now," the Fallen Angel said when she approached them. She crossed one arm under her chest while tilting her head and letting her cheek rest in her palm. She looked at them with a mocking smile. "The both of you stand out far too much. The dress looks good on you, Gremory. It shows where you truly belong."

No longer hidden, both girls stood from their place and climbed out of the bushes.

"What are you doing spying on me like this?" Raynare asked with heavy disdain. The cute appearance she held for Issei was gone, replaced by one of animosity for an enemy. "I've done nothing wrong that goes against the accords. I've stayed out of your territory and your affairs, _Devil_."

"As it so happens, we're not here for you," Rias countered, this time fueled by the instigations of a challenge. "We received a contract to make sure a certain someone returns to a particular establishment. That certain someone just so happens to be the boy you're trying to corrupt."

"As if you're so innocent," Raynare bit back. She tossed some of her hair over her shoulder as she readjusted her posture.

"Things are a little complicated since someone of your kind is attached to him," Akeno said. "Rias here was just being a little shy on how to approach the two of you."

"I wasn't _shy_ ," Rias argued back. "This is serious. A Devil trying to take a potential recruit of the Grigori can cause a great deal of backlash. I needed time to consider my options."

"Of course," Akeno said with a knowing smile.

"It's all the more reason why I should tell you both to buzz off," Raynare cut in. "You're distracting while I'm trying to work. Plus, there's a bit of satisfaction knowing I ruined one of your contracts without breaking any of the rules."

"Not until I get what I came for," Rias said boldly, though she neglected she _couldn't_ return until Issei was convinced. "Look. Here's a coupon. I fully support… whatever it is happening between the both of you. Just give that to him and make sure he comes every now and then. That's all we were sent here to do."

From the front pocket of her apron did she pull out the same flier Akeno had brought to the club room a few nights ago. She handed it over to Raynare, who stared at it with heavy disbelief. Those eyes flicked up and judged Rias. The look was almost pitying.

"Actually, the request was to seduce Hyoudou-kun and steal him from his girlfriend," Akeno said aloud. "It's no good to cut corners, Rias."

"…You're not helping, Akeno," Rias' voice fell flat.

Akeno's smile turned evil, "I'm simply trying to make sure you _do your job right_."

She was never going to let this go. Never.

"If I give it to him will you go away?" Raynare asked.

"Only if you promise you'll let him frequent the café as much as he wants," Rias pointed back at the coupon. "Do that and we'll get out of your way."

Raynare gave them a blunt look, examined the coupon once more, stared at them some more, went back to the coupon, and then back at Rias.

"I'll pass on the message," she huffed before waving at them to shoo. "Now go away before he comes back. I have work to finish and you're in the way."

"Scared one look at us will convert him to our side?" Akeno teased.

Raynare's eyes flicked for a half second at Akeno's generous set of knockers. "Keep talking and I tear apart the flier."

"Thank you very much and enjoy the rest of your date!" Rias put up a friendly smile was pulling on the arm of her best friend, dragging the girl away before she could sabotage this further.

0-0-0

"I feel absolutely humiliated," Sona said in the break room. They were the first words that came out of her mouth when she plopped herself down on one of the couches.

Bottled water was extended for her. When she looked up, her brows furrowed as Lolifor was on the other end. She accepted the beverage anyways.

"You seem upset," he said, making an astute observation of the century. "Is it because you're a Devil? You know, humility being a virtue and all that?"

"You planned this," she accused.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said with his wolfish smile. He pulled up one of the chairs, spun it around, and sat with the back supporting his chin.

"Then you claim to not know some of your employees are impersonating actual citizens of this city?" Hoarfrost could have breathed out of her mouth if she put an ounce of devilry into her words.

"Any and all likeness to certain characters is purely coincidental," Lolifor recited while waving his hand around in dismissal. "This is purely a work of fiction!"

She had dealt with people like this before. But they were all people she could deal with. She always had a certain amount of leverage over them. From the aristocratic Devils during her childhood, to her potential suitors who tried to outsmart her, to even her own sister.

Lolifor was just a brat who didn't have to answer to anyone. He was going to do whatever he wanted so long as he could get away with it.

"Who is Tina?" Sona tried a different approach.

"Tina?" he smacked his lips a few times in thought. "You met her before. She works here."

"Evidently."

"Then why'd you ask?"

…Now he was just being an ass.

"Lolifor-san," she breathed out, trying to remain composed but was losing her sanity to this _child_. "A fellow schoolmate of mine has been frequenting this establishment and has been requesting the same maid whenever available. She, in return, would dress herself in concerning likeness to myself for his viewing pleasure. Her deception is so thorough Genshirou-san did not recognize me when we were in the same room together."

"And you're upset by this?" Lolifor tilted his head while crossing his arms against the back of the chair. "Why? Because someone else is pretending to be you? Because he didn't recognize you? Or, maybe, because he was able to be himself without the blade of judgment that is Sona Sitri hanging over his head?"

She wouldn't deny she enjoyed her company with Saji. She had never seen this side of him. He told her all about his burdens and dreams. He was able to unwind without having to constantly impress her. He talked to her as a friend.

While his question was a small truth, it was nothing compared to the crux of the matter.

"I'm upset because I was never notified on this," she answered immediately.

"Would you have been less upset if I told you before?" he countered.

"Then you admit you knew?"

"Obviously," he put up a hand. "Come on, Miss Sitri. What kind of shitty employer would I be if I didn't know what happened in my own place? I mean, do _you_ not know what your Pieces do when they're out collecting contracts?"

She could feel the vein at her temple throbbing.

"Why did you withhold this knowledge from me?" Sona asked. "We've been here long enough for you to have a chance to explain it to me."

"Because I was waiting for Saji to come back," he answered plainly with a shrug. "Guy's a frequent. One more sticker and he gets a free VIP pass. Tina said he's going to save it for when we hold the ballroom theme so he can dance with her. I'm thinking either masquerade or fantasy. What do you think will be better for everyone?"

"So you did plan this," she declared instead of accused this time.

"You said you feel humiliated," Lolifor answered in a calm voice. "I mostly did it for the laughs, and it was just _great_ seeing you behave through the security footage. But it was also to teach you a lesson."

"Humility?" Sona asked through narrowed eyes.

"Do you know why clowns still exist?" he asked. "They're ridiculous. They're stupid. They dress up in these outrageous clothes and perform atrociously embarrassing, if not sometimes hazardous, tasks. And they're so unappreciated with all the critique plus the lack of a sufficient salary."

"…Did you just call me a _clown_ , Lolifor-san?" Sona fixed her glasses.

"It's more of a comparison," he said clearly without faltering in the slightest. "See, clowns make people _smile_. They make people feel good. So, yes, I _did_ just call you a clown, Miss Sitri. What are you going to do about it?"

"First prostitution… and now Harlequinade?" Sona gave him a look before deciding to take a drink from her water.

Lolifor stared at her for a moment. "I had no idea the profession of clown had such a legit title. Anyways, my point, they say laugher is the best medicine. That's _hardly_ true. Sure, you make people laugh and they'll forget their troubles for a bit. Laughter is more of a suppressant than a cure. A sedative. But laughter itself is just a piece of the pie.

"It's love, Miss Sitri," he said while staring straight at her. "Love is a medicine that can allow people to not only forget their worries but to push through and overcome them."

"…I believe the _love_ Genshirou-san has in this instance is a little unstable," Sona's lips twitched after hearing his words.

"It's not romantic love," he waved his hand again. "Platonic love. Unbiased love. I'm not talking about sucking face with any of these people. I'm talking about decent human beings and making connections with your fellow man. It might not apply to you Devils, I don't know, but I'd like to ask you to give it a try.

"How did it feel to see Saji talk to you like this? To see the real side of him? To see him smile, to promise himself on how he was going to improve, and to one day _earn_ your praise? It's amazing what the joy of a complete stranger could bring. How did it go…? Ask straight and he'll give half-truths; give him a mask and he'll give full-truth."

Love? To simply will the good of another? To sympathize and empathize with them? For what reason was he trying to show her this? She had no problems making connections with her clients. She had been doing it this long as a Devil and had been able to use the same tactics with her job here.

"Here at _Legion_ ," Lolifor lifted his chin a little higher, "we all love our clients. We let them know they are loved. This is as much their home as it is ours. Why would you want to go to a home where you're not loved? And anyone who doesn't love your family has no business being here."

"…I see," Sona said, though she hardly understood the reason for his approach. "Is this a lecture on my behavior, then? Did I make a mistake somewhere I may need to improve on?"

"You Devils lost your clients for a reason," he said plainly. "Generally speaking… you all seem fake. Plastic. You're all trying to be something you're not rather than yourselves. Gremory's crew _especially_. They're all straight out of the Stepford books, I swear."

Sona fell quiet. She knew the reasons behind most of the members of the Germory Peerage. It wasn't her place to illuminate anything to Lolifor.

"I'm back!" Rias called out as soon as she entered the break room.

"Speak of the Devil and she shall appear," Lolifor's wolfish smile returned just as fierce and hungry as ever. "Miss Gremory, darling, we were just talking about you! What took you so long?"

"We had a couple speedbumps but I think everything turned out okay," Akeno answered after following Rias in.

"Akeno-chan, I was wondering where you went," Lolifor's smile shifted as he looked at her. "I guess I can let it slide and count it as your break."

Akeno stopped in her steps, "My… what? But, I didn't get a choice! Rias told me to go with her!"

"…You could have told her no," Lolifor's smile fell.

"No, I couldn't. For all her faults, she is my King."

"…Hey," Rias said quietly.

"Sure you could have," Lolifor returned. "It's Miss Gremory we're talking about. It's not that hard to convince her. I mean, just think about it; someone like me totally swindled her into a completely unfair ordeal that's as close to slavery as is legally possible."

"Y-You knew it was unfair this entire time?!" Rias shouted.

"Duh," Lolifor gave her a look. "It was a total mock offer too. A joke to ease the waters. Yet the two of you took it so seriously I _had_ to go for it. But even with the huge discount you people are giving me, I still feel like I'm losing out. You think getting the top ten in Kuoh Academy's popularity charts would have this place flooded. Yet I haven't received a single request for any of you. Not even from the randos I give you who come back."

"Does this mean you are unsatisfied with your purchase and would like to terminate the contract?" Akeno leapt in at the opportunity.

Both Rias and Sona broke out into cold sweat. While Akeno might not care about the contract, it would ruin their reputations if something of this degree was terminated prematurely.

"No, it's more like this is a learning experience for all of us," Lolifor said with a dramatic sigh. "I just gotta figure out how to bring out the most amount of appeal from all of you. Speaking of which, Akeno-chan, I'm going to have you switch shifts with Kiyome-chan since you wasted so much time with Miss Gremory."

"But… it was almost time for my shift to end…" Akeno pouted.

"Which reminds me," Lolifor turned to Rias while completely ignoring Akeno. "What's the news? I'm assuming since you're back you managed to steal Issei back?"

"Didn't you say you'd also leave him be if the Fallen was genuinely interested in him?" Sona asked.

"Pfft," Lolifor tried (and failed) to hold back his laughter. "That?! I only said that to make sure Moé doesn't blow a gasket. He's the hopeless romantic. Anyways, Ise! What's the status?"

"He'll be returning," Rias said proudly.

"Wonderful!" Lolifor's smile returned as he stood. "How soon can we expect him? I might plan something special between him and Asia. Maybe close up shop early and let those two have a romantic evening just for themselves. Candles, violin, a soft bed when things get freaky. You know, typical teenager stuff."

"…Both Hyoudou-san and Argento-san are underage," Sona breathed out, though she knew her words would fall onto deaf ears.

Lolifor continued to stare at Rias.

"…Soon," Rias answered with her best smile.

Lolifor's smile remained still, "Soon? How soon is soon?"

"Within the foreseeable future."

"…What did he tell you?" Lolifor asked with his smile straining.

"We… didn't talk to him specifically…" Rias drawled out. "We spoke with his girlfriend."

"Uh huh…" Lolifor nodded in complete understanding. "I see. I see. So what you're telling me is… they're _still_ dating? Miss Gremory, honey, sweetie, we're in the middle of a Code: Orange. Relationships between clients and outside sources is strictly prohibited. Your orders were to retrieve Issei by any means necessary. Or else."

"We gave him a flier!" Rias argued.

"We give out hundreds of fliers a day!" Lolifor threw up his arms. "The amount of people who return with them is less than ten percent! And Ise already knows about this place! He's a three-time VIP guest! Your job wasn't to remind him this place exists! Your _job_ was to drag him back here kicking and screaming! And you think everything's okay because his _girlfriend_ — and not _him_ — said so?!

"Out!" he shouted, turning her around by her shoulders and pushing her back towards the door. "Out! Out! Out! I don't want to see you again until Ise, for absolute certainty, is coming back here! Come back without him and you're fired."

He shoved her out and slammed the door shut. He breathed out a long groan while slamming his head against the door. He remained there for some time.

"Are you willing to go this far for all your lost clients, Lolifor-san?" Sona asked from her seat.

"We lose people every day," Lolifor said. He lifted his head and looked over his shoulder to stare at Sona. "But Ise's something else. Asia will cry if he doesn't come back. Look at me straight in the eye and tell me you wouldn't be bothered by a crying Asia."

Sona… had nothing against the girl personally. She had this aura of purity around her that screamed divine protection. She was someone blessed by Heaven itself. Whatever her story may be, there was still no mistaking Asia was a holy person. And therefore a bane against Devils.

However… seeing Asia cry this early afternoon made Sona feel guilty for some unexplainable reason. Only a few days working here and she had already grown comfortable around the girl's constant and endless bounty of joy.

"Right, well, I need to get back to work," Lolifor adjusted his clothing until everything was smoothed out. He pulled out his phone and checked the contents. "Akeno-chan, I'll need you to check with Moé whenever you feel like coming back to work. Miss Sitri, whenever your break is over, I'll need you in Room 9."

"But I wanted to go home already…" Akeno whined. "I've been here all day and my feet are killing me."

"Should I be concerned over this client?" Sona asked. "Such as how I should with Genshirou-san?"

Lolifor stared at the screen for a moment, "It's a girl, in case you're wondering. And all the other girls are unavailable at the moment. After this one, you can go home. My best piece of advice is to be yourself. It's all you need."

He didn't smile this time, which meant this was a regular customer and not another one of his pranks.

Sona breathed a little easier and readied herself. At the least she would be able to go home and soak in the tub for as long as she liked. It felt like the day had just pelted her with shenanigans after shenanigans.

Moments later, she followed protocol. She reached the specific room, knocked, swiped her card, and announced herself.

She froze. The entire world around her petrified.

Her heart stopped beating.

The woman who started streaming a magical girl anime looked up at her. Her sapphire eyes lit up with torrents of power barely being withheld.

"Tia-tan!" she screamed with jeer and nearly tackled Sona to the floor in her rocket-propelled embrace. "You look better than ever! Mmm… you even smell like my So-tan. Your _For Someone's Glory_ Noble Phantasm is finally worth its rank!"

The one who was smothering her face into Sona's chest was her own sister, one of the Four Devil Kings, Serafall Leviathan.

And, like Saji, she had requested _Tina_ to dress up in her likeness.

"N-N-Nee-sama?!" Sona shrieked at the complete and utter outlandishness of the situation.

Serafall stopped. Her large eyes blinked and stared up at Sona.

She immediately squealed and reinforced her embrace. Sona couldn't breathe.

"Amazing, Tia-tan!" Serafall continued to rub her cheeks against Sona's breasts. "You're exactly like my So-tan! I can't believe it! I love this place so much! I'm so glad I met Loli-tan at that convention! I'm going to keep requesting you to fill the hole my So-tan left! Waaaaaaaaaaaah! So-tan! Why did you have to grow up and go to school in the human world?!"

And suddenly, the great and mighty Leviathan broke down into tears.

At the back of her mind, Sona knew Lolifor was behind this. This was twice he had deceived her! In the same day!

But there was a human idiom about being fooled twice…

0-0-0

Asia knocked on the door.

"Come in," Lolifor answered from the other side.

Asia strolled into his office with the tray of tea and cookies. He always worked here late into the hours with hardly any sleep. He never showed signs of fatigue but that didn't mean he wasn't bothered by the work. She did everything she could to alleviate his problems.

After all, he was the other person who had given her life meaning.

"Asia, it's late," he said without looking away from his computer. He hid nothing from her. Perhaps most would either hide the screen or pretending to be looking at reports, Lolifor had been intensely observing adult content. "You should be in bed. What are you still doing up?"

Asia hesitated while she handed over the plate of cookies and the cup of brewed tea. She had also made a cup for herself. The silent request was noticed by Lolifor but he didn't say anything in reply.

"…I couldn't sleep," was her answer in a low voice.

"Sleep is overrated anyways," he muttered before sipping his cup. Yet he never stopped staring at the computer.

She took his reply as permission. She wound up in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

They remained quiet for some time. He would occasionally click on something with the mouse or jot down notes onto his pad. He would mutter something in thought, look away to consider options in his head, and then go back to staring at the obscene incidents. She would only sip on her tea while basking in its warmth.

"Is… Is Issei coming back?" she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. He hadn't told her about it all day. It either meant he hadn't heard anything or…

"Even if Miss Gremory fails, I'm determined to get him back," Lolifor said, finally looking away from the monitor. He leaned back in his chair while rubbing his face. "I haven't forgotten our promise, by the way. You've held up your end of the bargain so far."

She fidgeted in her seat, "I-It's not that. I… I like working here. I enjoy making people smile. And I enjoy being supported by everyone around me. I… I feel like I belong here."

Lolifor nodded as he bit into a cookie. He spoke with his mouth full, "Your Japanese has improved a lot. Customers have been telling me all about you."

She blushed at that, "T-Thank you. You and Mister Quinn taught me so much. And… Issei taught me the rest. I feel so ashamed… I made him pay for visits when he was the one tutoring me."

"The kid's such a natural it pisses me off," Lolifor said with furrowed brows. "Dude wants a harem but doesn't realize he already has one. Asia, just hurry up and confess to the guy before someone else takes him away. Mittelt's been talking about him more lately."

Asia's blush intensified, "I-I couldn't! I owe Issei so much! Besides… I'm not that pretty. And my breasts aren't as big as some of the other girls'. And… Issei likes large breasts…"

Lolifor waved a hand while rolling his eyes. He was done with the topic.

"Have you adjusted to the country yet?" he asked instead. "Japan is pretty out of whack. It's pretty mainstream but so diverse at the same time. I have _some_ familiarity being from America and all that. But what about you? Didn't you grow up in some quiet village or something?"

"The largest city I've been to was the Vatican," she answered. "I'll admit I was frightened when I first came here. I lost all my money and I couldn't speak the language. The only help I could find was from the Fallen who…"

She fell quiet. She didn't want to talk about the incident that forced her to flee as far as Japan.

"I still have difficulty with writing," she said eventually. "But I'm trying my hardest!"

"I'm going to assume Issei is also helping you with that?"

Asia's blush reached to all corners of her face.

"That guy's totally a keeper," Lolifor stated. "You should bang him so he can't escape from you."

Steam would have blown out of Asia's ears if it were possible. She couldn't form any words in her stammering.

There came a knock on his door.

Lolifor's brows furrowed while he checked the time. He moved in his seat, readjusting himself so his hands were under his desk. Asia heard him pull something out of his drawer.

"Come in," he answered with his eyes staring sharply at the door.

Rias Gremory entered. She looked a little ruffled but brimming with pride and victory. She also wasn't in her maid uniform and had exchanged it for the lavish school uniform of her academy. She also smelled like she had just come out of the shower.

"Lady, what the hell?" Lolifor sighed as he dumped whatever he had under his desk back into the drawer. It made a loud _thud_ when it hit the bottom. "It's three in the goddamn morning. What are you doing here?"

"Good evening, Lolifor-san," Rias greeted with an elegant bow. "The deed you requested has been completed. I thought you'd might want to know as soon as possible."

Asia gasped. Did this mean Issei was going to return to the café?

A part of her was guilty. She didn't want to tear Issei away from his happiness. He looked so happy this early afternoon when he told her he had a girlfriend. She didn't want to take that away from him.

"Really?" Lolifor asked with some skepticism. He leaned forward on his desk while cupping his hands together. "Do you have it in writing this time?"

"Even better," Rias' smile was full of charisma. "You have the word belonging to a Peerage owner."

"…Oral dictation is not as widely accepted as postscript within the business world," Lolifor muttered.

"I mean it!" Rias barked back. "I promise you, for real this time, Hyoudou Issei-kun _will_ be returning to this place just like you wanted. He'll be back as early as Tuesday after school."

"Really?" Asia asked. "Thank you, Miss Gremory! I mean… that is… did you do something against Issei's girlfriend?"

"I didn't think you took my words to heart," Lolifor cut in. "You were gone all day, show up at the most unholy of hours, and squeaky clean. What'd you do? Sleep with him?"

Something within Asia's heart shattered into a thousand pieces. She looked at Rias with tearful eyes.

"Nothing to that extreme," Rias answered with a slight shake of her head. "As it turns out, everything just sort of fell into my lap. I'd like to tell you all about it in detail. But it is rather late. I just wanted to let you know about my mission success."

"We'll see Tuesday afternoon," Lolifor said. He eased up and put up a gentle smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Miss Gremory. The maids of _Legion_ are appreciated."

"Yes, thank you Miss Gremory!" Asia jumped in.

"If you'll excuse me then," Rias offered with a satisfied smile. "Sunday is the busiest days for Devils and I have much to take care of. I've also been able to change shifts with Sona and her peerage so they'll take over our schedule for Monday. We will see you again on Tuesday."

She bowed and shut the door behind her on the way out.

"We literally own all her contracts," Lolifor stated. "What's there to do on Sunday? And what the hell is going on Monday where she needs her whole peerage? You know what? It's late. I don't care at this point. I just want to wrap this up and go to bed."

"Thank you, Mister Lolifor," Asia said with a beaming smile.

"Go to bed already," he retorted while rubbing his face again.

She didn't say anything as she stared down into the brown liquid between her hands. Eventually, she looked up at him and pleaded, "Can I stay here a little longer?"

"If you want," he said while rolling the chair close to the desk. He rolled his shoulders before slouching forward to stare at the computer screen. He went back to work.

She sat across of him without exchanging a word. There was no need. She enjoyed being in his company. Her employer and technical landlord was sociable but never intimate. He would never try to make a connection with her like how Issei would. But, in instances like this, he was the closest thing to a friend she would ever have.

She never had a friend before.

She watched him work, comparing and contrasting the scenes in different pornographic settings and making notes of everything. He pulled up fashion articles as well as anime vines. Eventually, as the hours passed, she eventually nodded off.

When next she woke, she had been moved from one of the chairs to the sofa in the corner. A blanket had been thrown over her.

And Lolifor was still staring at his computer. This time munching away on a cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee.

"Morning," he said. "We have a full day ahead of us, Asia. Make sure to get something to eat."

"Y-Yes!" she replied, leaping up to her feet and folding the blanket.

She ate the extra plate of pancakes and fruit he left for her in his office.

0-0-0

"It's finally Tuesday," he told her on the appointed day. Lolifor had his usual large and crooked smile. "Can you smell it? It smells like fanservice."

"Fanservice?" Asia blinked at him.

"Moé, the dress," he said while snapping his fingers.

Luc Moé burst into the room instantly with one of his tailored maid outfits. She marveled at how he was able to design the perfect dress for her without needing to take her measurements. There was never a need to make adjustments either! It was as if he had magically acquired them. Or perhaps he was just that great of a tailor?

The dress he came in with was brand new. While it was similar to the standard maid uniform of the café, this one came with extra frills… and less fabric to cover her modesty.

The skirt was so short! And the top was so low cut! Her stomach was also going to be exposed! Wait! Her chest was only going to be covered by a sliver of fabric!

"Phase two of the plan, Asia," Lolifor began with his toothy smile. "You're going to make sure Ise remains a loyal customer of _Legion_. Moé here has made an outfit that will knock the socks right off of him! Make sure to tell him everything. You get your prince charming and we trap Ise via wedlock. It's a win-win!"

Her face was burning. Her clammy hands rushed up to her cheeks to cool them down. She was shaking.

She couldn't! With someone like Issei?! Well… it would be a dream-come-true. She admired Issei so much she always anticipated his visits. She always looked forward to his requests. She gave it her all no matter what he wanted from her. And, in return, he was nothing but kind and encouraging.

She believed she didn't deserve someone like Issei. Not someone like her. She, who had been cursed, spurned, and exiled from her home. She didn't know what Issei would think if he found out about her.

"We'll let you get ready," Moé said as he grabbed Lolifor by the collar and dragged him out of the room. Lolifor protested but he couldn't fight against Moé. The door was shut.

She didn't get the chance to protest. The two of them had done this much for her. With a hand on her chest to quell her beating heart, she began to change out of her normal uniform and into this… indecent attire.

She kept tugging on the bottom of the skirt as though it would magically stretch. So much of her skin was being shown and the barest movement was going to reveal her undergarments!

This was all for Issei, she told herself. For Issei!

When she stepped out of the dorms and climbed down the stairs to enter into the hallway, the first thing she noticed was the sounds. It was eerily quiet. Usually, the building was full of people. Even in this time of day of the week, when it was at its slowest, there was always a crowd of customers being tended to. But not today.

The entire building had been cleared out. The tables had been moved. There only remained a single table at the center, draped with a single white sheet, candles, and the best dining arrangements used for the most important and wealthiest of clientele.

The lighting had been changed to a low setting. The music track had been changed from local pop to smooth orchestra.

She looked around, confused heavily. She found the current shift of maids and butlers all crammed by the kitchen doors. Their eyes were sparkling and some of them were sending gestures of encouragement and cheers.

It made her face burn a little brighter.

"Are you ready?" Lolifor said at her side.

The sound of his voice made her jump in surprise. It also made her skirt flap and reveal her pure white panties. She rushed to cover them.

Lolifor had combed his hair and changed into a serving tuxedo. It was a more refined butlery outfit. The only one who could compete with it was Quinn's.

"M-M-Mister Lolifor," Asia quivered where she stood. "What's going on?!"

"Just a little something for the night," he said with his carnivorous smile. "Wait here and look for your cue. You'll know when you see it. Miss Gremory should be here soon with Ise. Any second now…"

He stepped out of the hallway and crossed through the main dining area.

She didn't have to wait very long. She saw the doors to the entry open with a small crowd coming through. She recognized Rias and her friends. With them was… Issei.

Her nerves were getting to her. Her heart was racing. She wasn't prepared for this! She could understand being a maid for him but… Lolifor was making her go on a _date_!

Yes! She was so happy she could break down into tears for this! But she wasn't mentally prepared! She didn't think this sort of fantasy would be able to come true so soon!

"The hell is this?" she heard Lolifor bark with annoyance.

She pushed aside her emotions to hear the conversation between he and Rias' group.

"It's exactly what you asked for," Rias said without losing grace. "We brought back Ise-kun _and_ made sure he was going to stay here. He is the newest member of my peerage."

Asia's world felt like it was crumbling apart.

Rias' words didn't make sense. She knew Rias and her friends were all Devils. But… Issei… couldn't have joined her peerage. He couldn't have become a Devil. He couldn't become an enemy of God.

Why did he agree to become a Devil? Why? Why did he willingly give up his soul to become one of the damned?

Her mind came to its own conclusion.

Rias.

She was so pretty. She was so charming. And… she was everything Asia wasn't.

Rias was gone for some time trying to convince Issei to return to the shop. Even Lolifor had said she was better suited to the task over Asia. It was because, as he said, Rias had the better chance of seducing him _even if_ Asia confessed her love for Issei.

In other words, even if she confessed, she was nothing compared to Rias Gremory.

It was from this thought that made her choose.

Lolifor had concluded with his argument and proceeded as planned. He pushed Issei to the center, pulled out a microphone, and announced Asia's presence to him. The lights dimmed further as a spotlight honed on the entry to the hallway.

But Asia wasn't there to greet him.


End file.
